new parks in the works.9.21.11 (1)

New Parks in the Works

Magnolia Manor (MMP)

Lower Kinnear (LK)

South Lake Union (SLU)

Path to

A Park

Through

Dept. of

Neighbor-hoods

And Seattle Parks…

How we got here.First, the Process…

Two Steps forward…

In 2006, the Department of Parks and Recreation conducted a public process to identify potential Off-leash areas (OLAs) in Queen Anne and Magnolia. Sites located in Magnolia Manor and Lower Kinnear Parks were approved as a potential OLA sites.

Then the money…

In the 2008, Seattle voters passed the Parks and Green Spaces levy, allocating $70,000 in funding each for OLAs in Magnolia and Queen Anne.

One step back…

In July, 2010, SPU relocated one of its fences at Magnolia Manor so that the reservoir would be completely behind chain link fencing. This change resulted in a reduction in the size of the Park (by about 8,000-10,000 square feet). Guess where siting the OLA had been discussed?

And now, more process!

In 2009 and 2010, both Lower Kinnear and Magnolia Manor saw neighborhood groups form to guide the development of the parks. This was both good and bad.

Surprise, surprise.

COLA was surprised, after 4 years of public process and a levy vote, to find that FOLKPark had a grant to design Lower Kinnear, hadn’t heard of our process, and weren’t planning on an OLA at Lower Kinnear. FOLKPark was surprised as well, to be asked to change their plan halfway into their process.

All’s well that ends well.

Parks and Department of Neighborhoods (DON) brought everyone together and settled on a plan that put the OLA in Lower Kinnear back on the map.

Lessons learned.

Realizing that everyone benefits from a cooperative approach, when a neighborhood group formed in Magnolia, COLA was notified by Parks and jumped in from the beginning of the process. This has resulted in better cooperation among neighbors and a more inclusive approach to OLA planning.

Lower Kinnear (LK)

Friends of Lower Kinnear (FOLKPark) formed in 2009.

Early concept plan in February 2010. Preferred Plan in June 2010. Next Community meeting/ Workshop

October 27, 20116:30-8:30 Bayview Retirement

Construction Target: Spring 2012

Lower Kinnear Enhancement Plan

Oriented to Elliot Avenue W.

Off Leash Area- 5400 Sq. ft.

Existing conditions

Artist’s Rendering of OLA

Lower Kinnear Stewardship Group

Facebook Group: Hillclimb Dog Club: Canine Enthusiasts of Queen Anne.

Magnolia Manor (MMP)

1st Meeting: March 2011Brainstorming An Expanded Park

2nd Meeting: April 2011Draft Designs Workshop

Option A-OLA front Option B-P-Patch front Option C-Open Space front

And then the Monkey Wrench… May 2011

Most neighbors liked Option C – Open Space front, OLA to the North...

Except Parks, which said it would have been too costly and too close to the apartments.

And they were right. (But we wish they’d said that in the

beginning…)

A Better Concept-OLA & Open SpaceShare the front

June 2011- The Final Plan

The Off Leash Area

The kicker-we’re over budget-but we have Friends…

Apparently, $70,000 only builds you a 10,000 sq. ft. OLA

Regrade is 14,000 sq. ft. We need to raise an additional $50,000 by

March of 2012 to build the OLA as designed. COLA has partnered with Friends of

Magnolia Manor Park to help raise $ for ALL of the elements: OLA, P-Patch, walking trails and open space.

And we’re well on the way!

$1400 pledged at June community meeting About $700 in birdhouse kits sold Get one for Christmas:

www.magnoliamanorpark.org! Umpqua Bank just gave $5,000 for the park!!!

How can you help?

Dogoween 2011- at Magnolia Manor3500 28th Ave W.

Saturday, October 22, 2011 11 am-2:30 pm Bring your dogs, your costumes and your

checkbooks-we’ll have great stuff for raffles, prizes and silent auctions.

Do your Christmas shopping, support 2 great causes and have fun--all at the same time!

www.dogoween.org

South Lake Union (SLU)

Over 500 neighborhood dogs Plus Amazon’s ‘dog-friendly’ workplace = Search for ‘temporary’ and ‘permanent’ OLA

space.

Temporary Digs-we hope

Best bet for a small ‘pilot’ site for a Temporary OLA (drum roll please)

Small section of Denny Park Rectangular grassy area north of the "circle" Parks Board meeting to discuss and take

comments: October 27, 2011 @ 7 pm COME AND SUPPORT SLU!

Further down the line…

Long-term goal for siting a permanent OLA: Greyhound bus barn property on Denny Way

near Pontius Now owned by City Light Needs  substantial remediation and the

starting date is years away, TBD.   CL is still working on getting the $$ to start

on this.  

There’s hope.

City Light has yet to determine how much of the 1 1/2-city-block property will be available for co-location (they want to use it too.)

No promises yet, but hope that a significant portion will be available and that community preferences will guide what else goes there.

Many Thanks to…

Deborah Kelch-Lower Kinnear Lead Steward Loretta Vosk-SLU Lead Steward Brenda Kramer (Parks/COLA Liaison) Pam Kliment (Parks Project Mgr) Joe Neiford (Parks Landscape Architect ) Laurie Ames (Department of Neighborhoods) Tim Durkan (Department of Neighborhoods)