For immediate release September 10, 2008
Contact: Dewey Potter, 206-684-7241
e-mail [email protected]
SEATTLE PARKS SEEKS NAMES FOR THREE PARKS
Seattle Parks and Recreation invites the public to submit potential names for parks in the Capitol Hill and Sand Point neighborhoods. Suggestions for names are due to the Park Naming Committee by October 27, 2008.
The following parks, characterized here by their working names, need to be named:
Capitol Hill Park Acquisition: This property located at the northeast corner of E Howell St. and 16th Avenue E was purchased in 2007. The .39 acre parcel was purchased from with Parks Levy funds.
Parks held several public meetings to solicit ideas on the program and design for the park. The preferred plan approved for this site consists of a large, level turf area in the middle of the site that is bordered by a collective garden to the north and a crushed rock plaza and a pathway lined with trees to the south. Other elements include a garden walk, steps, a plaza and benches, an art element, and pedestrian lighting.
Construction on the site is projected to begin next fall. For more information, please visit http://seattle.gov/parks/proparks/projects/CapitolHillDevelo
John and Summit: This project, located on the NE corner of E John St. and Summit Ave. E will provide a new neighborhood park on the western slope of Capitol Hill. Funding for the acquisition comes from the Pro Parks Levy and a matching grant from the King County Conservation Futures Tax. This .22 acre property was purchased in 2007.
The Pro Parks Levy funding supports a construction budget of $140,909 and current design ideas include P-patch garden plots, lawn areas, and a plaza. Community fund raising will be necessary in order to implement the entire plan. Construction on the site is projected to begin next fall.
For more information please visit http://seattle.gov/parks/proparks/projects/JohnSummitParkDev
Warren G. Magnuson Park Athletic Fields Complex: This Sportsfield complex located at 7400 Sand Point Way NE, in Warren G. Magnuson Park, was funded primarily through the Pro Parks Levy. It consists of one synthetic surface rugby field, two synthetic surface soccer fields, one Little League field/softball field, and one adult baseball field. The project is under construction and will be completed in the fall of 2009. For more information, please visit http://seattle.gov/parks/ProParks/projects/Magnuson.htm
The Park Naming Committee is comprised of one representative designated by the Board of Park Commissioners, one by the Chair of the City Council Parks and Seattle Center Committee, and one by the Parks Superintendent. Criteria the committee considers in naming parks include: geographical location, historical or cultural significance, and natural or geological features. A park may be named for a person no longer living (deceased a minimum of three years) who made a significant contribution to parks and/or recreation. The Park Naming Committee will consider all suggestions and make a recommendation to the Superintendent, who makes the final decision.
Please submit suggestions for park names in writing by October 27, 2008, and include an explanation of how your suggestion matches the naming criteria. Send to Seattle Parks and Recreation, Park Naming Committee, 100 Dexter Ave. N, Seattle, WA 98109, or by e-mail to [email protected]. In keeping with Seattle’s “Paper Cuts” program, electronic submissions are preferred, if possible.
(Note that the above rule “deceased a minimum of three years” is not absolute. Homer Harris Park http://seattle.gov/parks/park_detail.asp?ID=4426] was dedicated in May 2005: Dr. Harris died in 2007 and was present at the dedication ceremony. So, if you want a “Shannon Harps Park”, that’s somewhere to start…. Andrew)
