The Seattle City Council is expected to approve Tuesday afternoon an agreement with Seattle Preparatory School that could save the city as much as $850,000 by handing over the project to replace artificial turf on the sports field at Montlake Playfield to the Capitol Hill’s private high school.
Under the agreement, Seattle Prep would enter into a new 12-year deal with the city to replace the turf and be “responsible for all costs related to the planning, design and construction of the new athletic field.” In return, the school would have priority access to schedule and utilize the field for its football program’s practices and games.
The new deal would build on an existing relationship between the school and the city around the Montlake fields. In 2011, Seattle Parks entered into an agreement with Seattle Prep to replace the old grass field with synthetic turf at its own cost while it continued to pay field fees.
Under the new agreement, the city is also asking Seattle Prep to “continue implementing its plan to mitigate parking pressures in the Montlake neighborhood, especially regarding team bus parking.”
As part of the “public benefits” agreement, the school will also work with the city to offer public service hours for community programs at Montlake “with the goal of helping to fill gaps in community offerings and facilitate relationships with the Montlake community and/or children (non-Seattle Prep) from marginalized and underserved populations.” Programming proposals could include ideas like the creation of a lacrosse programs for middle school-aged children from low-income families, tutoring provided by Seattle Prep students, or providing recreational opportunities for members of the disability community.
Seattle Prep, a Catholic, Jesuit school located at 2400 11th Ave E, has continued to thrive, part of a wave of private school development and growth on the Hill. Montlake, meanwhile, will see a major school campus construction project ramp up next year as Seattle Public Schools modernizes and expands the Montlake Elementary School.
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Not sure I like the idea of public property being used for private organizations, and even worse, a religious organization – no matter how much money is saved.