SPR Boardroom: That's sweet.
SPR Boardroom: Okay.
SPR Boardroom: good evening, everybody. Welcome to the Board of Parks and Recreation Commissioner, Committee. My name is Amy Brockhouse and co-chair, and we will start, I think, with just a few introductions. And let's start with board members and board of staff members here and then go online.
SPR Boardroom: So maybe we'll start down here. Hi! I'm Ryan Baum. I represent Canadian Boards Commission, Stafford, Maze District 7,
SPR Boardroom: and Christopher Williams, chief of Staff Seattle Parks, guessing we got District one
SPR Boardroom: police to Beau Claire District 4
SPR Boardroom: staff, and let's go. John, Steve Amaya
John Flinn: Everybody. John Flynn, district 3 Commissioner.
Steve Lerer: Hi, everyone. Steve Lahr at large, Commissioner
Amaiya Leonor: Hi, there! I'm Amaya Lenore. I'm the get engaged. Commissioner
SPR Boardroom: And Daisy, you want to say Hello.
Daisy Catague: Good evening, everyone. Daisy Katagi, deputy superintendent of Parks and Recreational Service Branch. Hi, everyone
SPR Boardroom: Thanks for being here tonight.
SPR Boardroom: Well, 1st of all, just a huge thank you to Seattle parks and recreation staff, as always for the many, many things that you all do and deal with. Thank you for folks coming in tonight for public comment. We'll start with a land acknowledgement and then we'll get into some matters within this. Seattle parks and recreation acknowledges and affirms the indigenous coast salish people as the original caretakers of our waters and landscape
SPR Boardroom: who nurtured and shaped today's parkland. We honor their legacy with gratitude and appreciation, and will safeguard their knowledge and stewardship as enduring treasures to promote community welfare, cultivate inclusive expressions of nature and recreation, and commit to land acknowledgement for each ensuing generation.
SPR Boardroom: and then we have what I hope will be very quick consent. Items. The meeting minutes for February 27, th and March 27.th Oh, no, sorry! And today is March. So do I hear a motion to approve with those items.
SPR Boardroom: It's approved.
SPR Boardroom: Okay? And so and I will turn it over to public comments. Okay, so we have.
SPR Boardroom: My math is right. 21 people signed up for public comment tonight. So we are going to be limiting down public comment to a minute. Today. I know you probably got an email from me a little bit earlier, saying 45 seconds. But we are going to say a minute. But we are going to ask you to try to stick to that pretty firmly, so we can keep things on our schedule here. I will defer to our chairs to see if we can.
SPR Boardroom: So we're going to be going in the order that I received the inquiries who are online. The procedure will be, I need to give you permission to unmute yourself, and then you will need to unmute yourself. I can't do that for you, and you will have 1 min from there if you're in the room. Just come to the podium, and we'll time from there. So 1st up, Susan.
SPR Boardroom: good evening. My name is Susan Fedore. I grew up here and have lived in various neighborhoods, but have made countless trips to Magnuston Park over the past few decades.
SPR Boardroom: I've always appreciated its expansive beauty and peacefulness, and with the restoration of the wetlands. It's all the most spectacular and an accomplishment parts to be really proud of.
SPR Boardroom: It represents an incredible investment of time, energy planning, and millions of dollars.
SPR Boardroom: I'm not clear why the parking lot adjacent to the wetland site has been designated as a suitable space for 26 pickleball courts, especially knowing that water carries sound and amplifies noise.
SPR Boardroom: this would disrupt the 100 plus species of wildlife and impact residents. Directly across the street.
SPR Boardroom: The west side arena sports offers a more suitable space that would continue to honor the biodiversity of the wetlands. I'm asking for thoughtful consideration of others, and a collaborative effort in the spirit of parks for all, and with regard to the land, acknowledgement to truly honor the land acknowledgement, I would encourage us all to be good stewards. Thank you.
SPR Boardroom: Thanks.
SPR Boardroom: Alright. Next up is Sandy Miller.
SPR Boardroom: Okay, Sandy, I do not see you online. If you are online, would you please hit Star 9
SPR Boardroom: to raise your hand.
SPR Boardroom: Okay, we can circle back.
SPR Boardroom: Next up is Patty Brandt.
SPR Boardroom: Patty. I do see you online.
SPR Boardroom: So I will give you permission to unmute yourself
Patti Brandt: All right, am I? Am I set
SPR Boardroom: Yes, go ahead!
Patti Brandt: Okay, I'm Patty Brandt. I've birded at Magnuson Wetlands with the Audubon or birds connect
Patti Brandt: ever since it got developed. So that's around 2010. So over 15 years.
Patti Brandt: The sounds from the pickleball court will impact the birding, nesting as well as birding life. I'll speak to that, because that's what I know. I have 2 ask.
Patti Brandt: I know Magnusson Park extremely well. I've been hiking walking there for 50 years. I know there's alternative sites that would not impact the wildlife as much. I urge you to please use another site if you need to have something there, and my second ask is to please involve Seattle birds connect in the future right from the start so they can collaborate with you.
Patti Brandt: That's it.
SPR Boardroom: Thank you. And right at a minute. Thank you for that.
SPR Boardroom: Okay, next up is Acacia Hotschmidt, and I see you there, and you have permission to unmute, and when you're ready, go ahead
Acacia Pottschmidt: Great here. One second. Hi! There! My name is Acacia Pachman, and I live just off of Sandpoint way, directly adjacent to Magnuson Park. The reason my partner and I initially brought property in this area is actually because of the incredible experiences I've had birding in Magnuson Park at the Wetlands through birds connect Seattle's Neighborhood Bird Project back when I 1st moved here in 2018 as a longtime birder and naturalist, I've also had the opportunity to teach hundreds of elementary schoolers of various
Acacia Pottschmidt: ages about the natural history of the Magnuson Park wetlands and the abundant wildlife that call them home. It's a lovely, quiet corner of the park in close proximity to some very unique forms of urban nature, a rarity in our bustling city, and as much as I support other forms of recreation in the parks, including pickleball, which is a great sport. I think that the process of seeking input from other stakeholders in the park was insufficient this time around the proposed spot for the pickleball courts is not right, for
Acacia Pottschmidt: this area allowed. High traffic sport, like pickleball, is not a good fit here, and I encourage the Commissioners to explore other options and locations for this project. Thank you.
SPR Boardroom: Thank you so much.
SPR Boardroom: Next up Moxie S. Hubbard, S.
SPR Boardroom: I see you there, and you have permission to unmute yourself
Moxie-S.: Just in case I just want y'all to know that if you see 2 other computers that don't have my twin daughters names on there it's or or they switched it. We're the same family. But we're 2 different people.
Moxie-S.: Okay. So I wanted to say how much Seattle parks and recreation programs have uplifted. My family last year was pretty horrifying for us. So if it wasn't through Spr's programs like the late 19 swim program with Rainier Beach and Meadowbrook
Moxie-S.: and then ocean swim school with Chandrika Francis for the Bipoc open swim! My twin daughters will be taking their lifeguard search within the next few months.
Moxie-S.: and I loved it. I love it when I listen to them. Play the guitar which they they learn at Miller Community Center with Mr. Tim and Mr. Jack, and they also got to participate in the King County Courthouse, or Spr's mock trial. That was neat. So I have to thank Ms. G. For all of that. So thank you very much for everything. Y'all have done
SPR Boardroom: Great. Thank you so much. And I see Hannah is on my list first.st So we're gonna start with Hannah and then go to TV. So, Hannah, you have permission to talk
Hannah T.: Good.
Hannah T.: Can you guys hear me
SPR Boardroom: Yep, go ahead, big and loud.
Hannah T.: I just want to say thank you all for allowing me to speak tonight. And
Hannah T.: I'm on the Spark Youth Council Board. As the secretary. And I've been doing many programs with Fdr. Like the lifeguard programs and guitars, not guns. The guitar class that's at Miller, and as well as many, many other programs. And I would like to say, Thank you guys for having all the programs. And I've enjoyed it really very much. Thank you.
SPR Boardroom: Okay, thank you so much. Aaron and Phoebe.
SPR Boardroom: go ahead and unmute yourself and go ahead.
SPR Boardroom: Nope, go ahead.
SPR Boardroom: Think so.
SPR Boardroom: Maybe I'm not sure we can hear you in the room here
Phoebe T.: Can you hear me?
Phoebe T.: Can you? Can you hear me now?
SPR Boardroom: Yes.
SPR Boardroom: Okay.
Phoebe T.: I just wanna thank Spr. For offering programs to teenagers such as myself. Like the guitar lessons. Along with swimming, mock trial and
Phoebe T.: multiple other programs. And I hope that you would be able to add more programs to the list.
Phoebe T.: Thank you.
SPR Boardroom: Alright. Thank you. Phoebean.
SPR Boardroom: Okay, Taylor Morgan.
SPR Boardroom: Can you hear?
SPR Boardroom: And okay, I do not see Taylor in the room or online?
SPR Boardroom: Josh Morris, Joshua Morris, I see you. Thank you.
SPR Boardroom: Give you permission to talk
Joshua Morris: Everybody. Good evening. My name is Joshua Morris. I'm the Urban conservation manager at Birds, connect Seattle here to speak about the outdoor pickleball project at Magnuson Park in the month since this Board's last meeting, more than 1,100 individuals and 12 organizations have signed our petition urging city leaders to seek an alternative location for the project.
Joshua Morris: Community members have led more than 60 people on Wetland tours to show them what's at stake.
Joshua Morris: Fox 13 and Axios have reported on the controversy, and since November nearly 700 Seattleites have contacted their Council members with concern. We urge you, as well commissioners, to seek supporting an alternative location, we can find a solution that protects the wetlands and supports pickleball players. I'm eager to collaborate with you. Our Parks department pickleball advocates, friends of Magnuson Park and others, to make that happen. Thank you and thank you to the other speakers tonight.
SPR Boardroom: Thank you. Josh.
SPR Boardroom: Hey, Victor, please.
SPR Boardroom: Hello! I'm Victor ice nice to see you again. See how everybody needs you guys.
SPR Boardroom: One can identify a species of firefly, an insect rarely, but sometimes seen in Washington by observing its behavior. Male fireflies fly around, eliminating the rear section of their abdomen in an attempt to get females who wait discreetly on the ground to respond with a similar life.
SPR Boardroom: The flight, trajectory, and color and frequency of the flash are unique to each species. With some exceptions.
SPR Boardroom: females of the species coturus luciferensins don't produce their own bioluminescent compounds, and so obtain it by other means.
SPR Boardroom: but tourist sits on the ground, mimics the light pulses of whatever males happen to be nearby.
SPR Boardroom: draws them in, kills them, eats them, and she replenishes her supply. How are we to distinguish genuine pulses of light from those of deception, when nothing seems to be illuminated?
SPR Boardroom: We are told to stand by and trust that the right. Things are being done while being left in the dark.
SPR Boardroom: having that concrete information about what the Spr vision is for environmental Ed, and how it tends to achieve that vision is the only way we could possibly trust that we represent the same interests and goals. Thank you.
SPR Boardroom: Perfect, nice.
SPR Boardroom: I had hoped to be playing the Pacific chorus frog tape, and I think I just deleted it. I was so excited about Firefly, but anyway, I'm Carl Perry, and I live in very close proximity with Magnussen Park, and then we talked about the pickleball.
SPR Boardroom: Those would have been the sounds of the Pacific chorus frogs. And we know that Hertz is
SPR Boardroom: predicted 25 courts in the next few months. Next year or 2 we will be able to hear the frogs. Will we be able to hear the frogs over the sounds of the pickleball courts. Will the frogs be able to hear each other in their mating games? That's another thing we're wondering about. We don't know. We don't know. But when I spend time over there
SPR Boardroom: I wonder about animals connecting with each other.
SPR Boardroom: We would like birds connect Seattle, and friends would like to persuade the Parks Department to reconsider the site, and we have been looking at places in the park. We hope Parks is amenable to some of our ideas. I spent several mornings in the last month over at Magnus.
SPR Boardroom: and I stopped people to ask what it was they liked. Is that time? Can we just give you my last sentence? Please leave this area to the wildlife, and those of us who get sustenance from it, including the dog.
SPR Boardroom: Okay, next up. It's Ann Paul, and
SPR Boardroom: we give you permission to unmute yourself
anne paul: Hi! Can you hear me?
SPR Boardroom: Yes.
anne paul: My name is Ann Paul. I'm a member of birds, connect Seattle. I'm here tonight to share my concern about a plan to build an outdoor pickleball facility directly adjacent to the restored wetlands at Magnuson Park.
anne paul: for stakeholders as myself, who seek park spaces that allow quiet and the possibility to both hear and observe wildlife. The wetlands are a visible dedication to our priorities, and enable us to actively enjoy Magnuson Park for me to capture glimpses of birds and other animals that call this wetland home. I must proceed quietly and listen carefully for directional sound, and then watch for movement.
anne paul: Pickleball is famously noisy. Even the most limited footprint of pickleball courts at this particular location within the park will impact this wetland, impacting both wildlife and those of us who seek to hear and see wildlife. I hope this board is successful in finding a different location on the Magnuson Park property to locate a pickleball facility
SPR Boardroom: Thank you, Ann.
SPR Boardroom: Next up is Jessica Shipman, Jessica. I know you're online now we find you there you are, and you have permission to unmute yourself. Go ahead
jessicaschiffman: Thank you for this opportunity. My name is Jessica Schiffman, and I live in Greenwood, and I volunteer doing citizen research for birds. Connect Seattle.
jessicaschiffman: I'm concerned about plans to create pickleball courts near the wetlands in Magnuson Park. I visit them regularly with a group of friends who share my interest in birds and wildlife.
jessicaschiffman: I'm not an expert birder, but the park gives me an opportunity to view many species, some that I've not seen elsewhere. It's the 1st place that I observed ringnecked ducks, and the 1st place that I viewed a pie billed greed with its young
jessicaschiffman: in a rapidly expanding urban environment. These marvelous animals, and many others are able to find a peaceful retreat in the wetlands, as do the people who visit, as human density increases, oases, such as the Magnuson Park wetlands will serve an increasingly important role in our city. I ask you to review the pickleball project with sensitivity for the wildlife, and people who make quiet use of this amazing corner of our city, and I thank you very much for your service to the city and our precious parks.
SPR Boardroom: Oh, perfect timing there for the alarm. Thank you, Jessica. Next up, Adrian.
SPR Boardroom: I give you permission to talk
Adrienne Dorf: Good evening, Commissioners, and thank you for your service to the community. My name is Adrienne Dorf, and I live in the Haller Lake neighborhood of Seattle. I'm concerned, as others have stated, about the plan to build outdoor pickleball courts right next to the restored wetland in Magnet Park.
Adrienne Dorf: These wetlands were expensive to build and provide a wonderful opportunity for the public to experience the peace and quiet of a natural area. I visit these wetlands on a regular basis, and bring children and visitors to them also. It's a wonderful retreat in our crowded city.
Adrienne Dorf: Pickleball, on the other hand, is a very, is very noisy, and will disturb the peace and quiet of the area for humans and the animals and birds that inhabit the wetland.
Adrienne Dorf: Please consider relocating the pickleball courts to another area to protect our investment in the wetland habitat and access to quiet and peaceful areas for the public. Thanks very much
SPR Boardroom: Great. Thank you.
SPR Boardroom: Next up Lauren Buchanan.
SPR Boardroom: Okay, I do not see Lauren in the room or online Lauren. If you are online and I can't see you. Would you please hit Star 9.
SPR Boardroom: Okay.
SPR Boardroom: Circle back, Kerry Christiansen.
SPR Boardroom: Oh.
SPR Boardroom: Denny Blaine Park from 3, 19 to 3, 26. There was a total of 7 men masturbating in this park. 2 of them were masturbating to each other. One was arrested. He was back in the park the next morning I called 9 1 1 for all of these incidents.
SPR Boardroom: Yesterday this man was posing, taking photos of his erection. Lots of people around quoting Sophie Amity devs. We want the community to advocate for ourselves when inappropriate behavior is occurring.
SPR Boardroom: That didn't happen yesterday. 9, 1 1 decided to send park Rangers instead of Sp. For this. No arrest, I'm sure I only experience a fraction of what happens in this park on a regular basis.
SPR Boardroom: I'm advocating for myself when I call 911 to report leak behavior.
SPR Boardroom: tolerance, a tolerance for other lifestyles which I have a tolerance for rude behavior at a public park. I do not thank you.
SPR Boardroom: Okay, Melanie.
SPR Boardroom: It's winnicky.
SPR Boardroom: Thank you. My name is Melanie Winke. I'm a Volunteer Sun Guide for 12 years, and I am addressing the current environmental education staffing levels as well as planning for 2026, the 2025 budget fully funds. Our education programming, however, due to the actions of Spr's, Hr. Only 2 part-time public facing staff will remain at the end of next month.
SPR Boardroom: How can we, the city, fulfill its requirements? To run this program through 2025, if there's insufficient staff.
SPR Boardroom: Secondly, regarding alternative service models, we have been told repeatedly, please be assured we are working on it, but we are not assured because we do not know who we is. We does not include any stakeholders. It doesn't include the Ee staff, the volunteers or 80,000 participants. We don't know what it is, whatever is being pursued. I do not think it's unreasonable to have some transparency and accountability to the citizens.
SPR Boardroom: Please keep this program whole through 2025, and please wait and let us know what you're doing for 2026. Thank you. Thank you very much.
SPR Boardroom: Good evening. I'm Kathy Mensch. I live in West Seattle. I'm concerned about the future of the Madison Park Wetlands. I worked for over 21 years at Seattle public utilities, where I now retired, but I work on all aspects of watershed restoration and protection.
SPR Boardroom: My connection to the Wetland goes back to the planning stages. When I served on the Interagency Funding Advisory Committee.
SPR Boardroom: we recommended funding for restoration of what was then a degraded wetland.
SPR Boardroom: We were very impressed with the project fast forward to the present. I was alarmed to learn about the proposed location at the Pickle Hall Court a few months ago, and to hear the wetland, described at a public hearing as a mere urban stormwater treatment, facility, and not that important. I visited the Wetland this past Saturday, and was delighted to see its thriving.
SPR Boardroom: I urge you to please encourage the Parks department to consider another site, as these species would be sensitive to the noise and lights from the proposed pick.
SPR Boardroom: Okay, thank you, Dan Bragg, and you have permission to unmute yourself. Jim.
SPR Boardroom: James, can you hear us?
SPR Boardroom: Okay.
jan bragg: Thanks, Ben. You got me now.
SPR Boardroom: Go ahead.
jan bragg: Brad as a volunteer for birds connect Seattle. I've been leading bird walks at Mangson Park for 30 years. I remember when Magson was a quiet place. Then came the loud voices of the off-leash dog proponents and parks created an off-leash area. In the late nineties. The northern part of the park was no longer quiet. 10 years later came the loud voices of the sports leagues clamoring for sports fields. The noise of referee whistles and screaming kids was not as annoying as the dogs barking, but the western part of the park was no longer quiet.
jan bragg: not to worry because we got the created wetlands.
jan bragg: Now the influential voices of the pickleball players are drowning out those of people who go to the wetlands to get away from city noise and to enjoy nature. This will be a novel sound sound that is not only loud, but at frequency, which is both annoying and alerting, a sound which we humans can't predict, we will not only lose the healing properties of the quiet wetlands, we will be subjected to this racket. Please consolidate noisy recreation. No more whittling away at Mangson Park. Thank you.
SPR Boardroom: Thank you. Jan.
SPR Boardroom: Alright, Jonathan
Jonathan King: Can you hear me?
SPR Boardroom: Yes, go ahead!
Jonathan King: Great. My name is Jonathan King. Since 2021 I have put in more than a thousand hours of volunteer forest restoration work to improve tree canopy and wildlife habitat in Magnuson Park and along the Burke Gilman Trail. I'd like to urge Seattle parks to reconsider locating its proposed outdoor pickleball courts, which are currently slated to be right. Next to the Magnuson Wetlands.
Jonathan King: My concern, like many other people, is that the noise, lights, and traffic associated with the proposed development, will degrade the quality of the wetlands for more, for the more than 100 species identified there, as well as for members of the public who use the wetland trails and who live nearby.
Jonathan King: Magnuson Park has limited natural areas. Seattle has already spent 3 million dollars to construct the wetlands, and now is proposing to spend another 2 million on a development that could undermine the value of that 1st successful investment and also negatively affect our restoration efforts. Thank you.
SPR Boardroom: Sure.
SPR Boardroom: Thank you, Jonathan Ruth Wendover.
SPR Boardroom: Thank you for the hell.
SPR Boardroom: I walked down to Magazine Park 2 or 3 times a week, and one of my favorite experiences was contemplating for half an hour a Red Tail hawk, who was trying to swallow down a pretty big snake, and the snake was just slithering back up.
SPR Boardroom: I like birds. I like snakes. I didn't know who to cheer, for in your strategic plan you commit to providing opportunities for contemplation like this.
SPR Boardroom: and your vision says that people should feel connected to and active in nature. You are succeeding wildly with the weapons
SPR Boardroom: and in their current state. So, like others, I urge you to relocate the pickleball clubs. Thank you.
SPR Boardroom: Thank you, Rick.
SPR Boardroom: Okay, circling back to the folks that we missed on the 1st pass. Sandy Miller.
SPR Boardroom: Not present.
SPR Boardroom: Okay, Taylor, Morgan and Lauren Buchanan Lauren. Okay.
SPR Boardroom: you didn't come up to the point. Okay, my name back.
SPR Boardroom: I consider Madison park wetlands as being one of the jewels in Seattle.
SPR Boardroom: It's well designed. It's a it's a wonderful place to walk and
SPR Boardroom: connect with nature. I can identify birds through sound. If it's still quiet enough to do that, I'm really concerned that if we do place the pickleball course where it's proposed
SPR Boardroom: that a lot of that will change. Young people will be able to carry and and walk their children and and teach them about nature, because they won't be able to see it or hear it. Birds will leave. We have a lot of migratory birds that come through to refuel
SPR Boardroom: before they go on their journeys, and if it's such an area that's so loud they're not able to communicate by saying to each other, talking to each other. They leave.
SPR Boardroom: and I think that would be a huge loss. We spent a lot of money to create this wetlands, and it would be a shame just to lose that, because we aren't really considering where we could place those pickleball courts without causing problems. Okay, I'll leave this up to you and Justin, request for 2 additional comments. We are at the end of our allotted time here.
SPR Boardroom: Yeah, sound like this for people.
SPR Boardroom: Hi, I'm a farmer. Seattle River Nature garden. I wanted to tell you about one time when I was a beach naturalist and one of the title. One school was on a school field trip program, and this gal, when she dressed in her best dress and headscarf and little dainty sandals walking along the beach, and this clams were escorting her with seawater, and she has never been to a title pool before, or even a beach.
SPR Boardroom: She squealed in delight, and and you know she may not have had the Patagonia Beachwear, but she wore her best because she was so happy and thrilled to be there, the hermit crab out on her little hand. She was practically in tears, and she looked at me, and she just said, I just want the opportunity to learn about these sea animals, you know, and I just wanted to say, is, Where will privatization stop?
SPR Boardroom: Where will it stop? Is are we going to be defined by privatizing everything where only privileged people will be able to go out there? Will it stop with our national parks.
SPR Boardroom: Well, let's stop with what about our city? I want Seattle to stay green by the city for the city and with the city. Let's keep environmental Ed programs with Seattle, the city of Seattle. Equal opportunity.
SPR Boardroom: Thank you. Thank you.
SPR Boardroom: Okay, go, farmer. I'm here. Advocate for environmental Ed tonight.
SPR Boardroom: not here to tell the Board what to do. But, commissioners, you have a really important job. Ask hard questions, and if you represent districts or constituents.
SPR Boardroom: please listen to them and be responsive. I'm gonna read a little bit, hurting to change the world. This book the author advocated for her local park and saved it from overzealous park development.
SPR Boardroom: What my park buddies and I were learning in Warner Park that being outside during those years was healing us has since been confirmed by public health studies. These studies began with a boy in a pine tree, Roger Uldrich Ulrich, today one of the world's foremost experts on hospital design in this area.
SPR Boardroom: In 1984 older published a pioneering hospital study showing patients with even just a window view of a tree, feel faster, required less medication, and suffered fewer complications.
SPR Boardroom: I'm going to skip down. In 2019 Danish researchers published the largest epidemiological study to date tracking more, 940,000 Danes documenting language and access to green space and improved mental health over time.
SPR Boardroom: There's great book, environmental Ed, and mental health for youth and adults really important.
SPR Boardroom: Thank you so much
SPR Boardroom: and thank you to all our commenters in person online really appreciate you taking the time out of your busy day
SPR Boardroom: back to them out there. If they're busy
SPR Boardroom: right? Well, maybe I'll start out by
SPR Boardroom: responding to some public comment we heard. Thank you for. Thank you all for showing up, just taking the time to get on the public record. That's important. This organization literally runs on your passion and your stewardship. So thank you for coming down.
SPR Boardroom: Great rainy traffic filled evening.
SPR Boardroom: So with regard to the pickleball courts at Magnuson Park, Magnussen Park is governed by
SPR Boardroom: almost an exhaustive mastery plant years to develop
SPR Boardroom: multiple Blue Ribbon Committees worked on that plan. Several mayors and city councilors had to either adopt or endorse that plan
SPR Boardroom: in order to make changes to the master plan
SPR Boardroom: and the addition of 25 tennis rewards would constitute significant changes. We would have to have a public hearing at the Board of Park and Recreation Commissioners.
SPR Boardroom: They would need to vote, make a recommendation to the superintendent
SPR Boardroom: following that the City Council would need to adopt an ordinance modifying the existing Master plan.
SPR Boardroom: And what I'm really trying to frame here is all the process and all the opportunity that you're gonna have to show up
SPR Boardroom: and advocate for not having those pickleball courts.
SPR Boardroom: Yeah.
SPR Boardroom: and to come back here for a formal dedicated briefing which would more than likely be held at Madison Park, maybe in hangar 2 or something, because we know there'll be a lot of interest. But we want you to walk away with the impression that this isn't your last stop. There will be lots of opportunity in front of you.
SPR Boardroom: I also wanted to comment on the Dlc programs. We know that people are passionate about the Dlc programs. I wish I could say more.
SPR Boardroom: but what I will say
SPR Boardroom: is that the mayor's office is intimately aware of the community energy around restoring funding for the environmental learning centers. Our budget processes are kind of quirky in the city. We get into this deliberative process. Space, which means
SPR Boardroom: having a lot of public discussion about
SPR Boardroom: budgets are embargoed a little bit. But I want to reassure you that we are working with the mayor's office on this, and yeah, lots of discussions.
SPR Boardroom: weekly and daily about our environment. So that's happening. And then last, I want to thank Jonathan King. If you're still on the call for those thousands of hours of volunteer time.
SPR Boardroom: You contribute it over the years to the park department.
SPR Boardroom: That's his crisis, and I know a lot of people in this room also contributed to volunteering. So thank you.
SPR Boardroom: Alright. So maybe I'll get into some updates and I would propose
SPR Boardroom: maybe going through the 1st slide. There's a lot of information, and we have some meaty briefing topics, and I think the things that are on the 1st
SPR Boardroom: slide. Well, there's nothing there but they're in my notes here. So we hired a new recreation division director. Her name is Afro Die, and she's a new director for Recreation division. She has a background. Public health coming from King County, public health.
SPR Boardroom: And, boy, I got to tell you. The 1st impression is this is a polished professional person that we were lucky to hire in our department. So when she's around we'll bring her back here and make sure you get a face-to-face introduction to acrobatic
SPR Boardroom: we're also working with Spd
SPR Boardroom: around a crime prevention through engineering and design set of recommendations for Magison Park.
SPR Boardroom: In other words, septic, which is
SPR Boardroom: short for well, crime prevention through engineering and design. But really,
SPR Boardroom: how you approach landscape and physical changes to the environment, to make places feel more safe, less attractive to graffiti and vandalism, and we've been working with the North precinct to look at a proposal
SPR Boardroom: for
SPR Boardroom: some septed measures for Magison Park. We're also exploring the idea of supplemental Spd support for Magnuson Park.
SPR Boardroom: which is where the Park Department would engage the North precinct in a contract for services with. We currently do that at Alki Beach and at Golden Gardens, and we don't do that at a lot of our parks.
SPR Boardroom: But Magnuson Park is special. It's unique. It is a park that is literally functioning like a small city. It's got a residential neighborhood. It's got roads. It has all these elements that need attention has got people there, too. 24, 7, which is a characteristic that most parks don't have people. And then 24, 7
SPR Boardroom: summer hours. Actually, I won't talk about that, because
SPR Boardroom: Seattle Aquarium recently went through an exhaustive hiring process recently filled the job of CEO, which is soon to be vacated by Bob Davidson.
SPR Boardroom: who's been there probably about 20 years, and Peggy comes from the shed aquarium in Chicago and came highly recommended, and
SPR Boardroom: we think that Bob is transferring his legacy into a good leader
SPR Boardroom: at the Aquarium and Peggy. So we're excited to be working with Peggy as she comes on board. I say frequently that Bob Davidson at the Aquarium has been the kind of partner to our department that we can photocopier and literally pass around the community. He has just been a wonderful partner.
SPR Boardroom: We're working on a set of Westlake Park renovations. These are renovations that will occur in time for the Fifa World Cup. We're partnering with the Seattle Park Foundation
SPR Boardroom: do the project. We recognize that sometimes these partnerships, with other organizations that can expedite construction and permitting, when we have a tight timeline the Mayor has given us direction to have the
SPR Boardroom: website project done in time for the Fifa World Cup.
SPR Boardroom: Portions of that will occur in Seattle, and we're working with the Park Foundation, who's engaged in some fundraising.
SPR Boardroom: and we'll contract with a Gccm.
SPR Boardroom: Contractor for a design build effort at Westlake Park.
SPR Boardroom: We've been hearing from the little Brook Park community.
SPR Boardroom: Recently.
SPR Boardroom: And we are continuing to work with them and explore ways to
SPR Boardroom: mitigate, lessen, prevent the impact that dogs have had on that park in the past this park has been renovated. It is the center of green space for an underserved community, and the reality is that they haven't been able to
SPR Boardroom: use it for a long time because of the rampant unleash dog activity in the park and the animal waste. So they have a lot of concerns about that. We're working with them to make sure that once their new park is delivered we have a plan in place so that it doesn't become
SPR Boardroom: unsafe and saturated with fecal matter from pets off leash.
SPR Boardroom: We're implementing a park beautification program.
SPR Boardroom: This is the idea that coming out of 8, 9 months of winter kind of.
SPR Boardroom: We have the idea that we want to make our parks visually, aesthetically
SPR Boardroom: attractive, that we want some parks to actually have flowers and beautiful shrub beds and places for people to come out and enjoy. Our target for the separate is to have several parks in each geographic section of the city
SPR Boardroom: become these aesthetically pleasing gems. There are a lot of people that live in apartments.
SPR Boardroom: We have a lot of density in the city and don't get to enjoy a garden.
SPR Boardroom: And the idea here is to
SPR Boardroom: kind of reintroduce Seattle to what we like to refer to as horticultural, imperative for our parks and a little history here that the nicest landscapes
SPR Boardroom: and the city and the city used to be the Seattle school district and Seattle parks. We really want to get back to
SPR Boardroom: that. Look at the entrances and edges of our public park. So look for that. We're going to be advertising that and marketing that blogging about that. And you can say, Hey, that's the idea that Christopher was talking about at a Park board meeting.
SPR Boardroom: so I'm gonna pause right there.
SPR Boardroom: Think, be sensitive to everything else on the agenda. So any questions from the board?
SPR Boardroom: Well, thank you very quickly. I'm curious for more detail about the West Lake Westlake farm renovation. Okay? So what does the you mentioned the mayor's pushing for? To be complete by the week up? What does the timeline look like
SPR Boardroom: contracting boy that is moving fast? We hope to be in construction by September this year.
SPR Boardroom: and the whole idea with contracting of the foundation is the theory that we could really
SPR Boardroom: accelerate how fast this project goes, and it can better manage costs because we're using it.
SPR Boardroom: Gccm, which gives us more control over cost.
SPR Boardroom: Very exciting. Yeah.
SPR Boardroom: Another quick question for the Park beautification project. Have those locations already been selected? I think they have been selected. And I think, Paul, if you could help us work with marquee to report out where those locations are and come back here. I know one of the locations will be Alki Beach, and that beautiful
SPR Boardroom: area in front
SPR Boardroom: that, I think, has become less beautiful because it hasn't received the maintenance. But we want to restore it.
SPR Boardroom: Excellent. Yeah. There, yeah, right there. Great
Daisy Catague: I am here.
SPR Boardroom: We've been dealing with lots of
SPR Boardroom: maybe antisocial behaviors, nuisance behaviors, and quite a few of our parking lots across the city.
SPR Boardroom: Quite a few of our
SPR Boardroom: well actually parks in various neighborhoods all over the city are having challenges with legal behaviors. One of our strategies is to manage these behaviors by closing parks, modified hours
SPR Boardroom: their presentation. Today the daisy is gonna talk about kind of the hours strategy.
SPR Boardroom: Okay.
SPR Boardroom: closing parts earlier, opening them up. And how we plan to do that. And taking some programs at pilot programs up to now at Golden Gardens in Alkai, with a recommendation to make those permanent programs. So this will be. This will require a briefing
SPR Boardroom: and will require a vote and a recommendation. So I think this 1st
SPR Boardroom: thing we're doing tonight is just the briefing.
SPR Boardroom: So, Daisy, I'll turn it over to you
Daisy Catague: Alright! Thank you for that, Christopher. Can everyone hear me
SPR Boardroom: Yeah, yeah.
Daisy Catague: Okay, great. You just got to check virtual. So good evening, everyone. Thank you for your time tonight, as Christopher has already introduced me again. My name is Daisy Katagi. I am the deputy superintendent of the Parks and Recreational Service branch. I also wanted to take this time to introduce my co-facilitator who is actually there.
Daisy Catague: Brian, can you say Hello.
SPR Boardroom: Hi! Everybody! Brian superintendent's office, happy to be working with Daisy on this
Daisy Catague: Thank you for that.
Daisy Catague: So again, we are prepared to propose our operating hour changes in preparation for the summer season. Next slide
SPR Boardroom: There we go!
Daisy Catague: There we go. Thank you. So as you can see on the screen. This is the roadmap slide, highlighting what we'll be walking you through tonight regarding these proposed changes, I think, just to underscore the action request that's slated on the bottom. The superintendent seeks a Board Park and Recreation Commission recommendation on this proposal.
Daisy Catague: Next slide
SPR Boardroom: All right. So slides 3 and 4 are mine. Just a really quick, quick review of the underlying authority that's leading to this proposal tonight. What's outlined here are elements of the Seattle municipal code that outline the superintendent's authority around rulemaking which is similar to a policy. So a policy
SPR Boardroom: and public hearing, notice and adoption of rules, and also the superintendent's authority around emergency action for a temporary period of 60 days. So just some groundwork from the code here
SPR Boardroom: and then building off of that code some background on park hours. How they're outlined in both the municipal code and our internal policy.
SPR Boardroom: You'll see there at the top, that our park hours, the standard operating hours, are 4 Am. To 1130 pm. According to the municipal code on the right. It also allows the superintendent to set specific hours for specific parks and facilities, including 24 HA day, and outlines, procedures for public hearing, emergency action, and things like that.
SPR Boardroom: Then building from the Smc. You'll see along the right that we reference the Park operating hours exception policy, which was also an attachment to your briefing memo that you received. There's an outline there of select parks and boat ramps that are open 24 h, and the primary exception that the superintendent has for hours other than the ones you see in the 1st 2 rows is 6 am. To 10 Pm. But there are still opportunities for other hours depending on what those needs are.
SPR Boardroom: The superintendent has the ability to set hours for a pilot period of up to 270 days to address public safety. And what's blocked a little bit here at the bottom is just our general requirements around. If hours are changed, public signage update to websites for that transparency, so
SPR Boardroom: little bit of that background that leads back to Daisy's presentation
Daisy Catague: Right. So as you can see on this screen, these are the 3 areas that's really driving tonight's proposal, one to support and manage our existing summer beach fire programs. These are the programs that we run specifically out of Alki and golden gardens. Second, a respond to community health and safety concerns. This is really amplifying Christopher's introduction to our presentation, and then, 3, rd
Daisy Catague: to find a way to align our operations between the Seattle police department.
Daisy Catague: our existing park Rangers and security contractors next slide.
Daisy Catague: So the next few slides are bucketed into different categories. In regards to our proposals. This 1st slide is around park hours, as I already mentioned already, Alkine Golden Garden hours related to our summer beach program. What we are proposing is to reduce by 1 h to support successfully closing of the beaches
SPR Boardroom: This slide includes a permanent seasonal timeframe for these 2 beaches
Daisy Catague: An ongoing adjustment to park hours from Memorial Day to Labor Day, each calendar year.
Daisy Catague: and you'll also see home. A homeay is a 207 day pilot to address safety concerns at this site. Current emergency order in place is what we've already have executed
Daisy Catague: next slide. All right.
Daisy Catague: These are the proposed hours for boat ramps. This slide outlines the changes with our vehicle boat launches. All these boat launches will close at 1030, reducing public access. By only 1 h
Daisy Catague: Don Armini and Eddie Vine will be a permanent seasonal change to align with Alki and golden gardens. The remaining on the list will be a 270 day pilot covering peak season.
Daisy Catague: next slide.
Daisy Catague: and the 3rd category is technical changes. These are proposed to permanently change hours at Hamilton Viewpoint and Magnuson Park boat ramp to align with current posted signs and website hours. These hours were previously piloted Hamilton viewpoint in 2015.
Daisy Catague: So in order to operationalize these proposed operating hours, we do need support from the Seattle police department.
Daisy Catague: We also would need to work in harmony with our private security contractors, and we'll also be utilizing our park Ranger programs. All of this is to support staff in our closing procedures to help mitigate misuse and illegal behaviors that seem to come more common in recent years during the peak season
Daisy Catague: and slide 10, Brian, I'm going to pass this one to you
SPR Boardroom: Sure.
SPR Boardroom: So today is the briefing and presentation from Daisy, and you've received documents as well related to that briefing. On April 10th we will host a public hearing about these proposed changes, and we're anticipating to advertise that within the timeframe that we're required, for
SPR Boardroom: we propose a vote from this body on April 24th
SPR Boardroom: and if that all get all, if all of that goes to plan, the superintendent will issue a final decision on this proposal in May incorporating your your vote, and also the public comments, and should he choose to move forward, we will go through submitting certain city park filings as required, updating our websites, posting public signage, etcetera.
SPR Boardroom: like to add a comment here. So there was kind of a theme there with closures being
SPR Boardroom: almost all parking lots and boat ramps. And I think what we have learned and experience is that
SPR Boardroom: parking lots quickly become a gathering space for attractive
SPR Boardroom: nuisance behavior, rather attracting nuisance behaviors. Andy told me that nationally parking lots are among the most unsafe places
SPR Boardroom: behaviors just because people have access to them with their cars and allow them through the night.
SPR Boardroom: And this is an effort to really manage in our system, which
SPR Boardroom: there are other areas that have become attractive or nuisance legal behaviors.
SPR Boardroom: I have a question on the approach. I'm thinking about other parks where.
SPR Boardroom: you know, perhaps there's not much lighting at all, or there aren't any community centers. Is there
SPR Boardroom: a rationale for keeping those open beyond 10 Pm. It seems like perhaps
SPR Boardroom: ours can or should be shortened elsewhere.
SPR Boardroom: In addition to these locations, I had the same question just not familiar with the original city code where the logic behind, why did we get to
SPR Boardroom: 4 to 1130? That was that was 1995. So Parks used to be closed
SPR Boardroom: from what we used to open
SPR Boardroom: at sunrise to sunset. I mean, you used to. You needed to be an astronomer.
SPR Boardroom: Unfortunate, very difficult. So maybe 15 years ago we tried to adopt standard set of hours erring on the 1130 closure time, just because the ethic at times we didn't want to deprive the public of access to their parts.
SPR Boardroom: However, I think society has changed a lot, you know, in the last 15 or 20 years, and it really calls the question, you know, are there
SPR Boardroom: any good legal uses in a park after 1030, or 11 o'clock or something. Right?
SPR Boardroom: So we'll probably be back here again at some point in the future, as community safety becomes more of an issue, having more conversations about how broad
SPR Boardroom: this early hour modification should be a process or something. I think it's important. I live right next to Urbana Park, and that's up until 1130, but there's very limited to no lighting there, you know, at night, so it's
SPR Boardroom: nothing good. Well, it might be a good survey question. How many folks are howling or stargazing. I can think of a few things.
SPR Boardroom: a couple of a couple of questions, 1 1 quick one, maybe less. So. One is. I'm curious if there's any any data on, say, the proportion of incident reports that happen after sunset just to get a sense of the number there.
SPR Boardroom: The second, I have a couple of questions on that something that some of us have followed with with interest. Some of us on the board
SPR Boardroom: would have been here for the the announcement announcement at that part.
SPR Boardroom: what's driving? What events are driving this- this extended emergency plan? The the 4 h, 4 h
SPR Boardroom: shifted. Closing hours or well, just so. Last summer we had an absolute difficult time managing
SPR Boardroom: all the illegal behaviors and parks rather in parking lots. Boat ramps across the system. One of the challenges we have is we don't have staff
SPR Boardroom: around after
SPR Boardroom: oh, you know, kind of after dark during the winter, but maybe after 9 o'clock in the summer, and sometimes the behavior is so bad that it's unsafe for the staff
SPR Boardroom: to intervene with that behavior. It's unsafe for Park Rangers to intervene. That behavior police are busy and sometimes behaviors in parks don't rise to the level of an immediate police response. So I think just the level of community feedback and complaints we receive.
SPR Boardroom: We're looking at this as to be responsive to all of that feedback and all of that experience last year. And Brian or Daisy, you guys want to add anything to that?
SPR Boardroom: Defer to Daisy on the operations piece
Daisy Catague: Yeah, I could add a little bit more. There was also just continuous vandalisms to our asset. Graffiti just was a continuous battle along with. We had some. We had continuous fire assaults happening like people trying to burn and start fires on the turf. And so it just became a reoccurring issue
Daisy Catague: in addition to that, and also just working in partnership with police department. There they have a route, I think, that runs all the way until 7 30, which is why the hours are aligned to when they're helping with emphasis, patrolling.
Daisy Catague: That's what I'll add
John Flinn: See, this is John. Yeah, I I was said they had the same flag on. How may just the others seem very reasonable and just that one is closing so early. But I think you know you'll have the public hearing, and just keep an eye out, ear out for
John Flinn: community residents who have a you know, big problem with that and then just the other thing. I was curious, you know, we heard from some of the bird community about
John Flinn: wishing there had been more outreach during the development of the pickleball plan. I wonder, in this case, are there any boating groups or regular users of the boat ramps that you've been in touch with just to see. I mean, intellectually, it makes sense that nobody's putting a boat in or taking it out after 1030. But did you get any feedback about usage of those ramps? For you know legitimate purposes in the in the nighttime or evening hours
SPR Boardroom: So. One of the things we learned during Covid. Then Mayor Durkin was really into social distancing.
SPR Boardroom: and part of that experience meant that we weren't allowing people to have access to boat ramps for some period of time. What we learned from that experience is that and I'm a fisherman, salmon fisherman. You may have heard that, but salmon fishermen need to get on the water sometimes by 4 Am. So we erred on the side of
SPR Boardroom: reducing
SPR Boardroom: the closure hours in the evening, and continuing to provide access to boat ramps in the morning, so that fishermen can get on the water as early as 4 am.
SPR Boardroom: So we we did not impact.
SPR Boardroom: Thank you also wanted to comment on Homemade Park. Philip asked a question about you know, what were there a set of behaviors that led to the early closure of Homemay Park. From day one when that park opened it was literally unmanageable.
SPR Boardroom: I think the most direct correlation to the behaviors. You may have just heard that the Navigation Center, which is in that neighborhood just closed. They were the place for providing
SPR Boardroom: services for huge, unhoused community in that part of town. And
SPR Boardroom: You know those clients have to leave the building in the daytime, and they just sort of order and mingle around the neighborhood, and we think some of that contributed to some of the illegal behavior. I don't know, Daisy, do you have any observations about how
SPR Boardroom: homemade Park became or Andy sure. And then a lot of it, too, was
SPR Boardroom: drug epidemic and utilization of Ebt cards for drugs and exchange of Ebt cards for cash and data given
SPR Boardroom: services in that area. Everything kind of fueled, everything else, and
SPR Boardroom: The closure
SPR Boardroom: was designed at the same time, was in the neighborhood, painting the streets, and Spd was there so that we could act as one city, close the park at night, and then opening the park isn't so much of a safety concern
SPR Boardroom: in the morning as early as possible.
SPR Boardroom: and hopefully. That will change right. This is a temporary condition.
SPR Boardroom: I think Amaya did have a hand up at 1 point, and Whitney, simplistic in the chat, too.
Amaiya Leonor: Yeah. My concern was kind of aligned with what John was saying, but more so for people who want to get to the docks or to the boat launches early in the morning, because I know that that's really really popular, especially if you're a fisherman, is to get on the water by 4 am. So that's just something I was gonna ask about. But you kind of answered that already.
SPR Boardroom: Thanks, and Whitney
Whitney Nakamura: Oh, thanks! This is Whitney. I had a couple of questions.
Whitney Nakamura: I I'm sorry I was having a hard time hearing. But is it possible to speak a bit more to? I I heard earlier comments around like adjustments, environmental design changes and and working with Spd and and other efforts that are being initiated. I was wondering, is that aligned with the proposed
Whitney Nakamura: our changes, or or that's
SPR Boardroom: So.
SPR Boardroom: So those comments were more in the context of Magnuson Park. However, we can take lessons learned
SPR Boardroom: from one park and apply that same principle conceptually.
SPR Boardroom: At these locations, particularly where it comes to vegetation
SPR Boardroom: limiting public access to the park. Increased signage.
SPR Boardroom: I don't know, Daisy. Are there other sub ted ideas that you think we can
SPR Boardroom: borrow from other locations in these parks, parking lots
Daisy Catague: Yeah, I just think the other piece of it, too, was just thinking about potentially like program activation. But it really was around maintenance. Visibility. Any types of things that can just kind of help maintain and create space for less accessibility during the the later hours
SPR Boardroom: Thank you for laying out the calendar. What you're looking for that was just super helpful to see like this is the schedule from a process point but at least sort of started with, I would just urge you to. This seems a bit like sort of patchwork.
SPR Boardroom: I would just urge a more comprehensive rethinking, and that might be more helpful overall. I understand what you're trying to do, but it seems like
SPR Boardroom: we would very quickly get in this game of possibly adjusting a lot of hours as needed.
SPR Boardroom: I'm not sure it's the right approach.
SPR Boardroom: Given the timelines, it takes to make these changes.
SPR Boardroom: but just to brief remarks on that it took out to me, for example, it's odd to have fewer beach hours available in summer, and in winter it's just. I know why we're doing it, but it just sort of fails. The logic
SPR Boardroom: test. And then on Magnuson, I assume the park remains open its regular hours, even though we're closing
SPR Boardroom: the program portion for different hours. So
SPR Boardroom: again, I think just the the fewer inconsistencies we have more helpful it will be for public Education understanding. We mentioned this briefly, I am not an expert in impacted groups who possibly be using what app the web ramp service, but I would urge that we try and
SPR Boardroom: come up with who might be
SPR Boardroom: impacted, whether early morning or late evening. That are, you know, legitimate, enthusiastic users of you know, watercraft.
SPR Boardroom: The only way I think of a night is squid fishermen, but there's an outcome if you see that they do off the docks usually off the docks, but there are some boats out there with the lights as well, just in the spirit of like. If we think we have a good list of who's going to be impacted?
SPR Boardroom: and we have some understanding of that. I think that's really helpful whether they show for public comment or not
SPR Boardroom: And then just the last comment is on Honeyman Park.
SPR Boardroom: regardless of whatever the hours change it feels like. There's more of a plan that we would want to hear about what else is going to make that successful. So changing hours is just one small part of the strategy.
SPR Boardroom: Yeah. So
SPR Boardroom: and I think we're looking at. I'm more referring to that. You're still gonna have
SPR Boardroom: a high likelihood of unwanted activity. During whatever open hours you have. We've been exploring the idea of a farmers market with those local businesses there in the park and
SPR Boardroom: getting through a period of time where we can build some confidence with the with the business owners, so that they feel that that's truly
SPR Boardroom: a safe place for a farmer's market and have some local commerce seems like a good idea for that. Yeah, I would just urge thinking about what are all the things you can throw at reopening to try and make it successful. Given already one personal activations, Ranger support Sv partnerships, I'm sure, working with
SPR Boardroom: the more that you're able to articulate and talk about it, and it'll be helpful for community. I think it's less building confidence and more
SPR Boardroom: rebuilding trust for that community. They've historically been disenfranchised since the entire founding of little Saigon, and so I don't think it's so much about confidence about safety, but more about
SPR Boardroom: Spa, partner in hand with them to sort of regain
SPR Boardroom: their community, their sense of place, and their their sense of, because
SPR Boardroom: with us the bus stop pulling out with the stabbings, with businesses feeling like they have the site razor wire off their parking lots.
SPR Boardroom: It's not hard to read a sales Times article
SPR Boardroom: and not find that community. Say, we just don't feel like our voices really ever been heard.
SPR Boardroom: So trust over confidence, I think, is a big, big thing.
SPR Boardroom: All right. Thank you, everyone. Thank you, Daisy, and I think we should, and thank Brian. And I think we should probably move to the next.
SPR Boardroom: I just wanted to introduce this presentation really quick on planning and capital development. It's all about predictable outcomes. We've had a good start to the second cycle of the Mpd. We're focused on predictable outcomes. Predictable outcomes. Assure that our asset management plan can be executed.
SPR Boardroom: and predictable outcomes depend on the iron triangle. Does anybody know the iron triangle is scope, schedule, and budget? And it's simple. We're turning to simplicity. The projects get a lot of community pressure to expand on scope. You can imagine. Just add one more thing if we add one more thing to every project we're going to reduce our reach.
SPR Boardroom: Our greatest impact in the city is our reach. We're proud of our asset management plan. There's a lot of departments, surprisingly enough, that don't have asset management plans, particularly parks departments and going into the home stretch, or almost at the home stretch of the second cycle. These predicted outcomes are going to be the Pr. For the next cycle.
SPR Boardroom: So that's kind of our state of mind. Ken Will Kim Baldwin, our director will further explain how we're gonna achieve those goals.
SPR Boardroom: Hello, everyone!
SPR Boardroom: I can do it. Go to here.
SPR Boardroom: Thank you. Everyone. It's nice to be here this evening. I'm going to share a little bit following up on Andy's comments with planning and capital development branch updates for 2024.
SPR Boardroom: So tonight we're going to spend a little bit of time talking about our asset management plan planning process share some 2024 completed project highlights
SPR Boardroom: share a little bit about some of our projects and construction update on the Park community fund. Greenway Park, update
SPR Boardroom: or share some commitments and updates on Cycle 2, and where we are at right now, grants or that.
SPR Boardroom: So with that I'll go ahead and get started.
SPR Boardroom: So what you see in front of you is a diagram of the overview of our asset management lifecycle planning process. We like to share this just to give people an idea and a background on how we come to prioritize the projects and the work that we have, we complete many.
SPR Boardroom: many management, asset assessments and surveys to understand the needs within our system, and with that we are able to prioritize our work.
SPR Boardroom: those moving to capital renewal, the bottom right
SPR Boardroom: and then into asset commissioning bottom left, and then the top left the blue assets and service. That is where we want to keep our projects for as long as possible.
SPR Boardroom: We use a number of factors outside of those surveys and assessments that we complete to help prioritize our projects. And this chart shows you some of the main criteria.
SPR Boardroom: Equity is one thing that we always lead with. In every project.
SPR Boardroom: The condition of an asset is critical, safety is always number one, and then we also look at elements like efficiency. If we fix a certain element? Is it going to help us with our maintenance plan? Is it going to make operations easier?
SPR Boardroom: Opportunity? Are the grants that we can go for are the partners that we can work with, and then regulatory? Is our study accessible? Is it meeting Ada codes? Is it up to date for all of the seismic or other codes that are required.
SPR Boardroom: And then with that I'm going to share some of our 2024 highlights. So Homemade Park. This is an image of what we would love to have this park look like on a regular basis. This is towards the this is, you know, during the opening event.
SPR Boardroom: Wonderful site worked at the office of Arts and Culture featuring a local artist.
SPR Boardroom: Our work at the main entry.
SPR Boardroom: There's a 20 foot grade change. So there's a lot of design considerations as you move through it, play area, gathering lots of new trees and wonderful spaces and a great opportunity for the community.
SPR Boardroom: despite everything that we just spoke about.
SPR Boardroom: and then in the upper right hand corner.
SPR Boardroom: this is what homemade means. This is an image of the the flower that the name represents.
SPR Boardroom: Cheryl Chaw Park. This is a new park used to be used to be called North Rainier Land Bank site. Now it's named after a past council member.
SPR Boardroom: We are going to have an opening event right around the corner. It's a new urban village. So hopefully you'll see some of you on Saturday, April 5, th to celebrate one of the interesting aspects about this park. Is it started out as one parcel, and then over time we were to acquire 4 more. So it's almost a full half city block, 1.2 acres. Total
SPR Boardroom: play equipment, basketball court gathering spaces of the lawn. Another wonderful new part for the neighborhood.
SPR Boardroom: Tt. Minor is an example of a community build project. It was completed during the greater conference. Folks from all over the country came to support to attend the conference, and many of them signed up to be a part of this community build. So it was a great 2 day process to really get to know people from across the country and work together to build a place for community to utilize
SPR Boardroom: Green Lake small craft center.
SPR Boardroom: So it's a new 10,800 square foot boathouse, with a lot of wonderful features for training and public use fully accessible. And it's allowing
SPR Boardroom: Santa to launch the 1st public adaptive growing program and an expansion of a pair canoeing program.
SPR Boardroom: Really a beautiful site. I'm sure most of you probably have walked past it and walked in. It's really a great place.
SPR Boardroom: Pathways Park. So this is a part that we're very proud of. This is our most inclusive park in the city of Seattle. Most inclusive park in our system goes far beyond any Ada requirements, accessibility, requirements, and becomes a place for people of all different abilities to utilize. It was done in strong partnership with community. It wouldn't be what it is without our community. Partners who really brought so much to the table
SPR Boardroom: grassroots have really made this happen
SPR Boardroom: has a lot of amazing features, not only an inclusive play, but also in sustainability with stormwater
SPR Boardroom: containment and 56 trees a lot of wonderful elements. It also has. Our 1st
SPR Boardroom: Victor Steinbrook Park is one of our major maintenance projects, one of our very large ones to replace, and the impetus was replacing a failing, waterproofing membrane, and it resulted in a rebuild and a refreshing of the entire park, and is now open to the public.
SPR Boardroom: It is a great connection to the waterfront.
SPR Boardroom: so we tend to highlight a lot of our kind of really exciting big, shiny projects, but
SPR Boardroom: so much of the work that we do that is really critical. And really, most important is our major maintenance work. All of the small things that we do the parts to keep them accessible, safe for public use. And this is a great example, and we like to share this one, because not only does you can see the before, which
SPR Boardroom: not many people could even go up. That would be very treacherous. Not only can you see the before and after, but this is all done in house but in-house design team and in-house construction.
SPR Boardroom: We have a number of parks that are in construction right now.
SPR Boardroom: The idea of sharing. This is just to show you kind of the breadth of that work. So not only do we have a body of work under construction, but also a large list of projects in the planning phases and in the design phases and close out. So we have a lot of work that we're doing at any given time in all phases of projects.
SPR Boardroom: And we're going to feature a few projects that are in construction.
SPR Boardroom: South Park Plaza is
SPR Boardroom: this far from complete? And we are having an opening on April 25.th So yet another opening event coming. Another wonderful project
SPR Boardroom: close to an acre in size includes a lot of space for gathering and play and also large emphasis on the cultural and historic elements within the community.
SPR Boardroom: South Park Community Center is under construction.
SPR Boardroom: It's a large project. We'll continue through 2026.
SPR Boardroom: It's a stabilization project for the community center. So really an upgrade of elements
SPR Boardroom: within the community center. But also there's a lot happening on the site. There's gonna be a synthetic turf field, as you can see in the aerial photograph in the in the bottom.
SPR Boardroom: There's a spray park. There's an off leash area. There's a play area. There's a walking loop, and it includes almost every element that you can think of that a park might contain so wonderful
SPR Boardroom: amenity. Coming for the community.
SPR Boardroom: Getting Corner is a small infill project, providing a little bit of resting on a corner for passersby with a little bit of gathering space seating and just a place to pause under construction and then complete in a couple of months from now
SPR Boardroom: you've all heard a lot about the Park Community fund. So back in December we had a big party to announce 15 award winners for for the to the community. And so that was a really exciting event. And so what we're doing right now is moving those projects forward. So we are developing the plans, how you know
SPR Boardroom: how we're, gonna you know, working with the community members, determining the details and the cost and how we're going to complete the work. So we're really in that planning phase. I'm working to
SPR Boardroom: move these 15 forward.
SPR Boardroom: There's some statistics on here that show some of the success over that time period. In getting to this point. So over 2,900 people participated in this process, and many of the recipients that were submitted were in high equity priority
SPR Boardroom: freeway park improvement updates.
SPR Boardroom: So the project is coming towards 90% construction document, phase. And we're presenting to landmarks, design commission and working in close collaboration with.
SPR Boardroom: there's a lot of coordination with the Freeway Park Association, a lot of advisory teams and groups community members working with us. This slide shows the phase one priority items as well as showing future phases.
SPR Boardroom: and then the intent is to start construction in late 2025, and that will carry through until late 2026.
SPR Boardroom: These are some of our higher profile projects. I'll just give you a quick update run through. So Queen Anne Community Center is moving towards schematic design base. And we're going to have a community meeting in April. Construction is to start in early 2027.
SPR Boardroom: Smith Cove will be going up to bid in quarter 2. So going up to bid soon for a summer construction service of this year.
SPR Boardroom: Loyal Heights community sector. So we're we're looking for a design team and
SPR Boardroom: selecting a project management consultant team, which is something new that we haven't done before we have
SPR Boardroom: project management consultants on our team. We do it all in house. But for some of the larger projects that we have coming up, we're going to utilize that as a way to help move the projects forward. Green Lake Community Center, we're reviewing design options.
SPR Boardroom: And we think it's 60% designed by end of this year. Construction 2728 Lake City Community Center. So office of Housing is running this project and they just completed a selection process and they have a developer that they are proposing to work with and looking to gain approval on that
SPR Boardroom: construction will start in 2027. We will work in collaboration with them. Southlake Unit is on hold.
SPR Boardroom: I want the community center in construction through late 2025, opening in early 26.
SPR Boardroom: And we added decarbonization electrification to this project
SPR Boardroom: and camp. Long emergency public works project underway initial cleanup is complete. Still working on the stabilization, getting electrical back to the building, understanding what all the needs are, and developing a long term plan forward.
SPR Boardroom: So grants. We have been very successful with grants, and for our goal was to submit for one for 20 million this year and to be successful with 50 million. So we submitted for
SPR Boardroom: 27 million in applications. We've been awarded 14,188,000. But we still have over 6,000 outstanding. So we think that we will meet our goal for 2024, and we'll continue with a strong structure going forward this year.
SPR Boardroom: This is a list of some of the
SPR Boardroom: the funders that we reach out to just for reference.
SPR Boardroom: all right. And then next, I'd like to share a little bit of an update on our
SPR Boardroom: cycle. 2 work. And so these slides are really their high level of showing our progress, and how how it compares to the overall goals and commitments that we have.
SPR Boardroom: So for those of you that are on the I've been told that there's a performance oversight committee that folks in this room are on. So I know that you are digging deeper into this right now. So
SPR Boardroom: so that's that's fabulous. But what this shows is and then also just the operating divisions, like parks and environment and facility, also have goals that are similar in nature.
SPR Boardroom: but these represent the goals, these that next 3 slides represent the goals for planning and capital development.
SPR Boardroom: So they show the
SPR Boardroom: They show the asset that we're working towards. They show the goal that we have for the year, and then they show the promise where we're at right now, and we are on track for fulfilling our 6 year cycle cycle, 2 commitments. And we are moving, moving forward, as Andy said, we're getting close to that final stretch. So you know, moving towards the end of year 3 3 left.
SPR Boardroom: So and I also just want to point out that the colored dots that you see represent kind of a tracking system for us.
SPR Boardroom: Green is projects that are specifically they're right on track
SPR Boardroom: and blue are on track, but we're monitoring them closely because we know that they're complex projects. We know that we really need to keep a close eye on them. So we've identified those as well, and then the orange is reevaluating, and at this point we don't have any new ones, and I don't think that we will.
SPR Boardroom: so I'll just share a couple of these with you. So everyone's always excited about restrooms. Right? Restaurants come up all the time. So for our restrooms, our goal in the 6 year cycle is 27 completions. We have completed 5 restrooms today. We have 3 that are in construction.
SPR Boardroom: But what this doesn't show on here is that there are also 12 in design and 15 in planning. So as we move through the work that we have to complete in this cycle, we're always also looking for the next cycle. So when we get to the end of this cycle, we want to have projects that are in planning and design and queued up to go for the next cycle.
SPR Boardroom: All right, then, on this slide to share. Let's look at play areas. So for players, we have 12 players that have been completed towards a goal of 33,
SPR Boardroom: and we have 5 more that are in construction right now as well, and then many that are on deck in the planning and design phases.
SPR Boardroom: And then this is our last slide that wraps up all of these commitments.
SPR Boardroom: and on this one to share special projects. So we sometimes we have projects that don't necessarily fit neatly with a simple explanatory title. So we have a couple of special projects. And this special project we have 2 name community centers.
SPR Boardroom: that are that are renovation and design, one in planning towards the goal of 5. So that's Queen Anne Community Center, Greenland Community Center design, Lake cities and plan is starting soon. And then we had a immersed around here that might come to life. It may not.
SPR Boardroom: All right. So 25 and 25. So let's do 25 openings point to Andy. This is Andy 25 and 25. We're going to have 25 events this year to to celebrate 2025. We're going to do 26 next year. So we're going to keep up and on hold by one year. So these are the 4 that we have in April, or I'm sorry the 5 that we have in April.
SPR Boardroom: So it's going to be a big month, and then we are as we move forward towards this call.
SPR Boardroom: and that is, that is the end of my presentation. I thank you all very much.
SPR Boardroom: Good job. Thank you.
SPR Boardroom: Any questions, comments other than Thank you. That's a huge, impressive list of projects. Again, I totally thank you. That is a very, very impressive list of projects. A quick question this might be might be a little bit of a tangent. I'm happy to see Lake City Community Center that there's a 2027 start of construction
SPR Boardroom: out of curiosity since the since the fire at the community Center one, how has. How is community and staff been faring? And second, do? Could any of the other new projects before the opening of Lake Saint City Community Center help shoulder help shoulder some of the the burden of housing housing programs.
SPR Boardroom: So would you say that 1st question again, Lake City Community center, the new restaurant?
SPR Boardroom: Oh, no whether it could shoulder any of the the burden for the for the community centers or other projects that will open before before Lake City. Recognizing that if it starts at 27, the opening is still. Probably the opening is still a way.
SPR Boardroom: So other, she said. Like other parts of the community sector, should bring the burden for that site. So they.
SPR Boardroom: whenever we have a site that is closed for any reason, whether it's a project or due to arson, we always look holistically. What are the programs that we've had at those sites? What are other locations that we can utilize to to have those programs and host those community groups as much as we possibly can. So we're doing that. And we're trying to, you know, allow, do as much as possible with the facilities and the resources that we have.
SPR Boardroom: But that is always a challenge. Whenever a ball field or any program center goes under construction, we need to look at ways that we can help support the community groups as much as possible.
SPR Boardroom: And a lot of the programming that was at Lake City is now at the local churches, and as well as Meadowbrook. And we have started activating
SPR Boardroom: Albert Davis
SPR Boardroom: Park a lot more intentionally with outdoor programming during the interim. Got it. That's helpful. And do you think that any of those more programs might come back to Spr facilities as new community centers come online?
SPR Boardroom: More? I mean, the new community centers will have
SPR Boardroom: additional capacity for more programs. Absolutely. Yeah. And I just wanted to mention, I was really happy to see the progress going on with South Park Center so similar to what you were saying. South Park has been without the Community center for a really long time.
SPR Boardroom: So a lot of the other neighboring community centers have been shoulder in a load of programming. But I also want to be clear, because I've also been on the programming side with our, a lot of the programming is specific to neighborhoods and communities. So they'll ask for very specific things, and they'll be programmed in very specific ways. And yes, they can get shared back out. But you know, it's really up to the community on how they want to have their different kind of sets of programs
SPR Boardroom: and also new new community centers and new spaces create new opportunities. So I'm thinking of both community center. So there'll be more opportunity to to do even more.
SPR Boardroom: Thank you.
SPR Boardroom: Other questions from folks. Thank you so much.
SPR Boardroom: And I think we are set for old and business investors
SPR Boardroom: based on new business should we talk about?
SPR Boardroom: We both can, because, as of March 31, st you will have 2.
SPR Boardroom: Well, we have 2 great ones that- that are leaving that came one of you came in with me. I don't know how you got here before me.
SPR Boardroom: and Justin actually
SPR Boardroom: on boarded both of us and did a fabulous job, and they're they're departing, and I have the distinguished honor of nominating
SPR Boardroom: Ryan, Baum and Whitney Nakamura.
SPR Boardroom: as our new 2425,
SPR Boardroom: so I'd like to nominate them, and I'd like to have it. Second, I'll second
SPR Boardroom: and please accept Whitney. Is that how you say it? Are we? Good?
SPR Boardroom: Thank you. Before we vote. Just a huge thank you to Ryan and Whitney for stepping up.
SPR Boardroom: Great job right now I'm available.
SPR Boardroom: I guess I call them all in favor of our team Co. Chairs.
SPR Boardroom: Any opposed, any extensions?
SPR Boardroom: Okay? Regardless. Welcome to coach
SPR Boardroom: taking over next week.
SPR Boardroom: I just like to say something about Justin, Amy and Josh. The Park Board typically has been one of the most time intensive volunteer
SPR Boardroom: opportunities that people can sort of volunteer to give their life away. We appreciate it a lot. We've gotten to know Justin and Amy really well, through early Monday morning or Tuesday morning meetings with
SPR Boardroom: we need to talk about this meeting and share highlights for the department in between meetings. And I just wanna thank you guys for leaning into this.
SPR Boardroom: Josh, thank you for giving up your Thursday evenings to serve with us, and we appreciate that also. So
SPR Boardroom: thank you. Feel like we're losing a lot losing you guys.
SPR Boardroom: but we got 2 great incoming
SPR Boardroom: co-chairs, so Whitney will look forward to working with you.
SPR Boardroom: and Ryan will look forward to regular communication with you.
SPR Boardroom: 22 years of volunteer service for Spr. For me. And so I'm finally taking a vacation for a bit. I think my kids, my kids want me. But this work is so important, not just to the the little Justin's that grew up in the system, but the future generations and the current people that are using the system like it's, it's really important. And so I always urge people to
SPR Boardroom: really be curious about what we're talking about and be really mindful of the decisions we make because they have generational impacts. So just keep that in mind, appreciate everybody's work. And it's a lot I know that a lot of people got full-time jobs. So just be mindful, be intentional and just be passionate about
SPR Boardroom: and look forward to hearing future updates from Paul on our recruitment efforts. We are underway.
SPR Boardroom: Oh, you're gonna hear from me right away about scheduling those meetings. Well, should we close out the official meeting and then
SPR Boardroom: continue to chat as people would like. So thanks so much, everybody. Thank you so much for Staff, and I think with that this meeting is adjourned. But stick around
John Flinn: Thanks, everybody. Sorry I couldn't be there. Congrats, outgoing folks. We appreciate it, appreciate you
SPR Boardroom: Yeah, he's not sad.