Soundview Park Project: Volunteers Needed!

Soundview Park is located west of Soundview play fields adjacent to Whitman Middle School at 1590 NW 90th Street in Ballard/Crown Hill. It is situated between Olympic Manor and the Crown Hill neighborhoods. The park is owned and maintained by Seattle Parks and Recreation. Click to view a drawing of the original site plan for the park.

Click for additional site photos.

In July 2001 a small group of neighborhood families committed themselves to the renovation of Soundview Park. The focus of the Soundview Park Project is the existing playground and surrounding park area only and does not involve the play fields or the Whitman Middle School track and baseball field area.

Soundview Park is in need of a major upgrade in terms of functionality, aesthetics and safety. Currently there are two tennis courts and a wading pool. In addition, the playground has several full size swings and an infant swing, a slide, a climbing structure, and a merry-go-round all surrounded by a sand play zone. The park is multi-tiered, offers an open grassy area, and has very mature trees.

According to published safety standards*, the playground is unsafe. Safety issues include:

Equipment that doesn't meet current safety codes
Inadequate protective surfacing and fall zones under play equipment
Choking and strangulation hazards

Soundview Park has also become a magnet for graffiti, vandalism, and noisy nighttime parties. Broken glass and limited visibility in areas of the park are safety concerns. Concern has also been expressed by local residents about parking, maintenance, and overgrown shrubbery that could harbor criminals.

In spite of its outdated condition, children in the community do use the Soundview playground. There is a large childcare center nearby that makes regular treks to use the swings and the siblings of children playing sports at the Soundview Play Fields often occupy themselves at the playground. The Parks Department operates a summer program at the site. However, many families who live near Soundview drive their children outside the immediate neighborhood to access safe and modern play areas.

The goal of the Soundview Park Project is to transform Soundview Park a widely used, safe and fun community-gathering place that reflects the character of our neighborhood.

The Soundview Park Project has four primary objectives:

Broaden community usage of the park/playground
Renovate the play area
Create a character/identity for Soundview Park
Improve safety for park users

Questions or comments? Please e-mail us at soundv@scn.org.

*Safety standards published by the National Program for Playground Safety and by the U.S. Public Interest Research Group/Consumer Federation of America


	Home Before Renovation Project History Project Timeline Contacts and Links Thanks for Your Support!

			Soundview Park is located west of Soundview play fields adjacent to Whitman Middle School at 1590 NW 90th Street in Ballard/Crown Hill. It is situated between Olympic Manor and the Crown Hill neighborhoods. The park is owned and maintained by Seattle Parks and Recreation. Click to view a drawing of the original site plan for the park. Click for additional site photos. In July 2001 a small group of neighborhood families committed themselves to the renovation of Soundview Park. The focus of the Soundview Park Project is the existing playground and surrounding park area only and does not involve the play fields or the Whitman Middle School track and baseball field area. Soundview Park is in need of a major upgrade in terms of functionality, aesthetics and safety. Currently there are two tennis courts and a wading pool. In addition, the playground has several full size swings and an infant swing, a slide, a climbing structure, and a merry-go-round all surrounded by a sand play zone. The park is multi-tiered, offers an open grassy area, and has very mature trees. According to published safety standards, the playground is unsafe. Safety issues include: Equipment that doesn't meet current safety codes Inadequate protective surfacing and fall zones under play equipment Choking and strangulation hazards Soundview Park has also become a magnet for graffiti, vandalism, and noisy nighttime parties. Broken glass and limited visibility in areas of the park are safety concerns. Concern has also been expressed by local residents about parking, maintenance, and overgrown shrubbery that could harbor criminals. In spite of its outdated condition, children in the community do use the Soundview playground. There is a large childcare center nearby that makes regular treks to use the swings and the siblings of children playing sports at the Soundview Play Fields often occupy themselves at the playground. The Parks Department operates a summer program at the site. However, many families who live near Soundview drive their children outside the immediate neighborhood to access safe and modern play areas. The goal of the Soundview Park Project is to transform Soundview Park a widely used, safe and fun community-gathering place that reflects the character of our neighborhood. The Soundview Park Project has four primary objectives: Broaden community usage of the park/playground Renovate the play area Create a character/identity for Soundview Park Improve safety for park users Questions or comments? Please e-mail us at soundv@scn.org. Safety standards published by the National Program for Playground Safety and by the U.S. Public Interest Research Group/Consumer Federation of America