January
31, 2002
To: Community Meeting Attendee
From: Soundview Park Project Steering Committee
Re: Update Following 3rd Community Meeting
The
Steering Committee would like to thank all of you who attended the Soundview
Park Project community meeting on January 10, 2002. The meeting was very well attended with approximately 130 people
present. Soundview Park is destined to
become a beloved place in our community with the wealth of ideas shared and
dedication of community volunteers shown thus far. We salute you all for your effort and thank you for your
contribution toward bettering our neighborhood park!
This
community process of developing a draft master site plan has been achieved
through many people, often with differing objectives, coming together
and actively working through difficult issues and finally finding common ground
and consensus. This process has also
led to numerous compromises being made to park neighbors and other concerned
neighborhood members. More importantly,
attendees at the meeting were in agreement that this community supports
Soundview Park’s renovation.
The
approach being used to renovate Soundview Park was discussed including a review
of the community planning process utilized to date, the targeted timeline, and
fundraising needs. The Seattle
Department of Neighborhoods and Seattle Parks Department explained their roles
in assisting the community with funding and expertise. The details of the Department of
Neighborhoods role in community development are well outlined on their web site
located at: http://www.cityofseattle.net/don/home.htm.
There
was discussion and comment on the draft master site plan presented by the
landscape architect in the following areas:
Again,
there was general agreement about these issues and those in attendance
concluded that the community supports renovating the park while keeping theses
issues in mind. For transcriptions of
the comments recorded on flip charts at the meeting please visit the Soundview
Park Project web site, http://soundviewpark.org
On
January 22, 2002, the hybrid draft master site plan was presented to the Parks
Department C.O.R.E. review committee for review and approval. After discussion, the Parks Department
approved the plan subject to the following:
q Include a picnic area
without a shelter or trellis
q Increase slope re-grade from
10% to 8%, which is closer to current ADA/accessibility standards
q Play structures/elements
will not include skateboarding and must be approved by the Parks Department’s
Play Elements Review Committee
q Removal of diseased trees
will be done with two to one replacement
q ADA access into the existing
wading pool required, and spray play elements eliminated due to increased
maintenance
All
of these recommendations are reflected in the attached copy of the draft site
plan.
There
were many comments at the community meeting in favor of including skateboarding
elements in the park, however the Parks Department is not recommending
skateboarding at this location. Kathie
Huus is the Northwest Sector Manager for the Seattle Parks Department, and she
is actively looking for an appropriate skateboarding site in NW Seattle. If you are interested in supporting her
efforts, you may contact her by email at kathie.huus@ci.seattle.wa.us.
The
draft master site plan still requires the community’s input on the specifics of
play elements as well as specifics for desired landscape features and
plantings. Therefore, two community
site workshops have been scheduled as follows:
Play Equipment Workshop
|
Landscape & Artistic Elements Workshop
|
|
Date: Wednesday, February 27, 2002 Time: 7:00 PM Place: Our Redeemer’s Lutheran Church 2400 NW 85th Childcare will not be provided |
Date: Wednesday, March 13, 2002 Time: 7:00 PM Place: Our Redeemer’s Lutheran Church 2400 NW 85th Childcare will not be provided |
The
goal at each of these meetings will be to prioritize desired elements within an
established budget. We need to hear
from the community so that the interests of the entire community are
represented in the final site plan. Don’t underestimate the importance of your
input – active neighborhood participation is vital to making Soundview
Park/Playground a reflection of our community.
Going Forward:
Our
neighborhood has started serious fundraising to support the Soundview Park
renovation. Please take a look at the
enclosed fundraising/volunteer insert and give consideration to how you can
make a contribution toward making a refurbished Soundview Park a reality. Please visit the Soundview Park Project
website to view photos of the park and the draft master site plan.
Your
comments and suggestions are always welcome.
The Steering Committee can be reached in the following manner:
E-mail: soundv@scn.org Website: http://soundviewpark.org
Regular
mail address: 9020 26th
Avenue NW, Seattle, WA 98117
You can also submit comments to the Parks Department.
E-mail: andy.sheffer@ci.seattle.wa.us Website: http://www.ci.seattle.wa.us/parks/home.htm
Regular mail address: 100 Dexter Avenue North,
Seattle, WA 98109
We look
forward to seeing you at the workshops!