The skateboarding feature that is part of the new city park at Summit and John has a new skateboard-catching feature — a tall, black fence. The fence and an accompanying sign warning skaters of the rules — and risks — of riding in the park are part of an overhaul by the city to make Summit/John less of a trouble spot for area residents — and owners of parked cars — who have complained about the noise and the danger from flying skateboards.
We have asked the Seattle Parks managers responsible for Summit and John for more information about the fence — it wasn’t included in our earlier discussions with officials about potential solutions for reported problems with skateboarders in the park — but have yet to hear back.
Residents and people who work in the area report that the new safety elements coincide with a reduction in noise and general skateboarding shenanigans in the park but so does the cold and often wet weather.
The skate feature’s presence in the park design is important beyond its impact for this area of Capitol Hill. The city and skateboard advocates see the “skatedot” feature and its success or failure as precedent for other similar features in parks throughout Seattle.
Meanwhile, the space’s p-patch portions also are sporting a new accompaniment. The Unpaving Paradise group’s winter coffee-bag planting bed quilts are in place. No fences in that part of the park — yet.
Image: Staton DuBois
“seriour” huh? sounds french.
And what are “hazardous activiies”?
Did you notice that the sign states that the address is 200 Summit Ave NE? The correct address is 200 Summit Ave E
Any 9-1-1 call using that address for assistance will send responders somewhere else…. Actually,there is no valid address in Seattle using Summit Ave NE.
Putting skateboard features in a small neighborhood park surrounded by apartments just a few feet away is a terrible idea. I don’t have anything against skateboarding, but if you want to build a skate feature, why not put it in the middle of Cal Anderson where it’s more accessible to skaters and the noise isn’t going to bother anyone?
Everything in the immediate area is going to get tagged (which means all the typos on that pathetic sign will soon be obscured), a situation also improved if it’s in a large public area where they have resources for cleaning it up (or designating a tagging wall) instead of essentially inviting vandalism on all the surrounding private properties.
“intendedfor”
I agree. Terrible idea to put a skate feature at this location.
Don’t forget these:
– “SeattleAssumes”
– “LiabilityFor”
– “ResultingFrom”
and my personal favorite: wrist “gaurds”
It’s amazing how many typos are on just one sign. You’d think that they would have somebody proof-read the sign before posting it…
I agree with the comments about a skateboard feature being in this park, should have been put in Cal Anderson instead.
Ha! Obviously, that should read wrist GOURDS, the latest in all-natural skateboarding protective attire. Buy a pair today!
And while you’re at it, protect those patellas with our new knee pods.
Regards,
etaoin shrdlu
President and CEO, Gourd Our Mother Earth Inc.
SeattleAssumes, WA
I live right by the park and over the past few weeks, I’ve heard the following concerns:
1. Skaters make noise and might hurt themselves;
2. Dogs in the park will harm the plants;
3. Transients may take vegetables etc from the garden;
4. The park seems to attract unseemly types at night.
Unpaving paradise? Yeah, but the paradise is only if you’re not skating, don’t have a dog, have a regular source of food and are “our kind of people”. Everyone else is obviously just not part of the community.
That sign is BEYOND painful. The printers must have thought it was a riot. Eiieee.
I completely agree.
It’s very unlikely that skaters will confine their activity to the skatedot. Come spring, there will be conflicts with P-patch gardeners.
I think “seriour” is worse than “serious” but not as bad as “serioust.” To pile on, there’s “skatable” and the comma outside of the quotation marks. Wow, get a proofreader! I was surprised, however, not to see any misplaced apostrophes (like “wrist gaurd’s”).
A new sign has been ordered, and will be posted as soon as possible. This sign will be taken down today.
Seattle Parks’ own sign shop produces most signs for our parks. Staff in the shop inadvertently manufactured the sign from a draft copy of the text — not the properly edited version.
We are sarry forany confuison. ;-)
Joelle Hammerstad
Seattle Parks and Recreation Communications Office
Is this a good use of city resources? Sure, the sign might have some typos but it’s completely clear what it’s saying. I thought the parks were dealing with a huge budget problem right now.
Maybe they meant to have it say, seriouser, or even, Skateboarding can result in “seriouserer” injuries than inline skating….. It twists my brain to think that someone could actually approve that without proofing it… I grew up in a town where for 35 years the welcome sign said, Welcome to Poway, you are now in horse counry…. COUNRY!! WTF!, people…. ????
“Seattle Parks’ own sign shop produces most signs for our parks. Staff in the shop inadvertently manufactured the sign from a draft copy of the text — not the properly edited version.”
So now we know the sign shop staff is illiterate and so is the person who prepared the draft copy? I am a semi-retired professional proofreader and copy editor. Any time Seattle Parks needs some help, please let me know. I assure you my fee will be a lot less than what SPD must spend to fix embarrassing mistakes.
I live nearby, and every day I’m offended by how incredibly ugly that fence is. Way to screw up a perfectly nice park, I would rather have the skateboarders there.
I absolutely hate the look of that fence everytime I walk by. I think they way they designed this P-patch is poor. If you look at other p-patches there are not neatly manicured and landscaped sections around the park. Also in the rains we have been getting lately the mulch they put out and the new Starbucks across the street is running down hill. The mulch has been clogging drains and is a waste of money.
I agree it looks terrible, totally closes off the front of the park. I’m really disappointed that it was added.