Last month community members gathered to tell FOLKpark what they wanted out of the Lower Kinnear Park enhancement. The developers took notes on your suggestions, but before presenting a draft plan at the next public meeting at the end of the month, there will be another opportunity to discuss the future of the park and share your opinions.
FOLKpark, along with urban advocacy group GreatCity.org, will be hosting a free brown bag discussion this Thursday, February 11 from noon to 1:30 p.m. at architecture and urban design firm GGLO, located at 1301 1st Ave.
Here’s what FOLKpark had to say:
More than a century ago, the Olmstead brothers developed the “Emerald Necklace” plan – a set of paths and vantage points creating a sense of continuity throughout downtown Seattle. Imagine a looping urban trail that includes a breath of fresh air in Myrtle Edwards Park, art in the Sculpture Park, breakfast spots in Belltown, the Seattle Center, coffee spots in lower Queen Anne, and tennis or picnic in lower Kinnear Park. An entire day of activities, highlighting Seattle’s finest, all in one easy stroll. The hidden and overgrown lower Kinnear Park link is a missing gem in this plan.
Community members and urban designers are invited to talk about how “completing this missing link in an urban loop that dissolves the boundaries between the Waterfront, Belltown, South Lake Union, and Queen Anne.” There’s no need to RSVP – just show up and share your thoughts.
Dean Koontz from HBB Landscape Architects (the firm handling the development of Lower Kinnear Park), Alan Hart of VIA Architecture and Debi Frausto from FOLKpark will be leading the discussion, looking for ways to create an Uptown Loop that “can strengthen pedestrian accessibility and secure the relationship between urban forests, walkable city streets, community amenities, residential living, and waterfront vistas.”
For more information, visit FOLKpark’s website. Read up on past meeting progress here and here. HBB Landscape Architects will be presenting the draft plan for the park at the next public meeting on Thursday, February 25 from 6:30 to 9 p.m. at the Bayview Retirement Community, located at 11 W. Aloha St,
If you missed the FOLKpark meeting a couple of weeks ago, but would like to share your opinions for the enhancement of Lower Kinnear Park, there’s still time to tell the planning committee what you think. Just take FOLKpark’s short improvement survey (it’s only seven questions, so it won’t take long). And if you missed the meeting, you can read up on the topics discussed, or watch the video for a quick overview.
The next FOLKpark meeting be on Thursday, February 25 from 6:30 to 9 p.m. at the Bayview Retirement Community, located at 11 W. Aloha St, when the landscape architects will present a draft plan for the park to the community.
Last week nearly 40 people met at the Bayview Retirement Community to tell community-group FOLKpark and architecture firm HBB Landscape Architecture what they want out of Lower Kinnear Park. And now organizers are asking those who couldn’t make it to the meeting to weigh in on the future of Lower KP, the first park planted in Seattle.
Though they’ve been together for less than a year, FOLKpark has been operating under an aggressive time-line to revamp the five acres of urban forest, winning a $15,000 grant from the city’s Department of Neighborhoods to fund the project.
Last Thursday the group printed off large posters of the park in its current state and asked community members to sit down in small groups, each with a leader from FOLKpark, the city or the architectural firm, and literally cover the maps with markers and post-it notes highlighting suggestions for park developments, redesigns, additions, problem areas – any ideas for the enhancement of the park.
FOLKpark chair Debi Frausto asked participants to consider how they like to use the park/would like to use the park, how the enter and interact with the park, what would give the park a stronger connection to the community, what does the park give back to the neighborhood, and what stories, if any, they have of the park, when brainstorming ideas. At the end each group presented their ideas, while graphic recorder Patti Dobrowolski created a pictorial visualization made of up everyone’s input. (See the final product here).
Some of the major concerns were safety, lighting, adequate trails for biking, strolling, and short routes for those walking through the park on their regular commute, highlighting the park’s historic story, making the best use of communal space (ideas for an environmental/educational play area and community pea patch were discussed), inviting entrances, parking and building a link from Uptown to the waterfront through the park.
“We just started a discussion about the Uptown Loop showing Kinnear Park as the missing link to the waterfront via the Helix Bridge on the Discussion Board. Would you like to walk down the hill and get to Myrtle Edwards Park?” Frausto wrote.
HBB took notes on the ideas and suggestions from the neighborhood and will create a draft plan for the park, to be presented to the community at the next public meeting on Thursday, February 25 from 6:30 to 9 p.m. at the Bayview Retirement Community, located at 11 W. Aloha St. In the meantime, Frausto encourages those who couldn’t make it to the meeting to engage in further talks/share their ideas on the FOLKpark Facebook page. Also, stay tuned for a video (currently being edited) of highlights from the evening.
Just a reminder that FOLKpark is having a public meeting tonight to get community feedback and ideas for the enhancement of Lower Kinnear Park. The meeting will be held from 6:30 to 9 p.m. at the Bayview Retirement Community, located at 11 W. Aloha St.
The volunteer organization is heading the redevelopment of the park, funded by a $15,000 grant from the city’s Department of Neighborhoods. Over 35 people attended the Walk and Talk through the park with landscape architects HBB Landscape Architecture on Saturday, and FOLKpark chair Deborah Frausto is confident many more will attend the meeting tonight.
Beginning with a 30 minute overview of the project, participants will then break into smaller group discussions from the majority of the time to brainstorm ideas, and conclude the meeting with reports back to the whole group. FOLKpark has recruited graphic recorder to pictorially draw ideas and plans for the park as the evening progresses. For those of your who can’t make it, QueenAnneView will be taking video of the highlights of the meeting.
Around 30 community members gathered in Lower Kinnear Park at 10 a.m. on Saturday, January 9 for a walk and talk with the landscape architects FOLKpark has hired to enhance the park.
The Walk & Talk was was organized to help familiarize the folks at HBB Landscape Architecture with both Lower Kinnear Park and the visions the community has for its improvement in preparation for a follow-up meeting to be held this Thursday, January 14 from 6:30 to 9 p.m. at the Bayview Retirement Community, located at 11 W. Aloha St. According to FOLKpark chair Deborah Frausto, Saturday’s turnout was more than enthusiastic!
“The goal here was to get people to walk through it together, stopping and focusing on things they will want to talk about on Thursday night. The landscape architects from HBB learned a lot about what people care about,” she wrote. “Many people are invested in the park. I love hearing their stories about their connection.”
Thursday’s meeting is one of three FOLKpark will be hosting in coming months as the Lower Kinnear Park development project unfolds. This week the group will be seeking community input on the plan, a draft of which will be presented at the next meeting on February 25, with an overview of the final proposal set for April 8. There will be small group discussions for attendees, so bring your ideas!
FOLKpark is revamping the five acre urban forest with a $15,000 grant from the city’s Department of Neighborhoods that they won last year. They chose HBB because the firm as strong experience in sustainable, green design and crime prevention through environmental design (CPTED). The volunteers at FOLKpark hope to see even more community members get involved as the project progresses.
“We had people who use it everyday to some who had not been back in the park for a year and even one who lived across the street and had never been in it but took the opportunity for a group walk,” Frausto wrote.
(All photos courtesy ofFOLKpark, via Deborah Frausto).
Earlier this year FOLKpark (Friends of Lower Kinnear Park) won a $15,000 grant from the city’s Department of Neighborhoods for the revitalization of the five acres of urban forest located in Lower Queen Anne, and now the volunteer-based group is asking the community for input and ideas. Last month the group hired on HBB Landscape Architecture, a firm with strong experience in sustainable, green design and crime prevention through environmental design (CPTED), to work with the neighborhood to develop a conceptual plan for the enhancement of the park.
“HBB quickly emerged as the top candidate among a field of highly qualified firms,” FOLKpark chair Debi Frausto said in a press release (.pdf) last week. “They have an impressive track record of relevant projects and are committed to working with the community. Now it’s up to us to tell them how we want to use our park.”
FOLKpark has invited Queen Anne residents to meet the landscape architects and discuss both opportunities and challenges for Lower Kinnear Park at a “walk and talk” on Saturday, January 9. The group will be meeting at the park entrance at the west end of W. Roy St. at 10 a.m. rain or shine to take a stroll through the grounds.
The group has also set up three public meetings to receive community feedback and follow the draft plan process. The first meeting will be held on Thursday, January 14 from 6:30 to 9 p.m. at the Bayview Retirement Community, located at 11 W. Aloha St, and will seek community input on the plan. The second meeting, held on Thursday, February 25 from 6:30 to 9 p.m., will present a draft plan for the park, and the third meeting will be held on Thursday, April 8 from 6:30 to 9 p.m. to go over the final draft plan and next steps for the project. For more information visit FOLKpark.org.
FOLKpark, or Friends of Lower Kinnear Park, has launched their new website – folkpark.org. The community-based organization, which recently won $15,750 in the form of two city grants for the further restoration and development of Lower Kinnear Park in Queen Anne, announced that they would launch a new site last week. FOLKpark began in March of 2009 with a mission to “renew Lower Kinnear Park as a sustainable urban forest that links us to its heritage, natural setting and our greater community.” And the members wasted no time getting the website up and running. The new site combines information about the organization and its objectives, a detailed outline of their future plans and ways you can get involved (including hands-on volunteer events), a blog with up to date information on all organization happenings, and a platform for donations and community contributions.
Currently FOLKpark is going through the rigorous process of finding and selecting a landscape architect to develop an enhancement design plan. They plan on making their selection, after a public Request for Qualifications and candidate interviews, by the end of the month. Interested in getting involved, check out their brand new website for more information.
Friends of Lower Kinnear Park (FOLKpark) has been awarded two grants from the city for restoration and development of Lower Kinnear Park in Queen Anne, totally $15,750! The first award, in the amount of $15,000, is part of the Department of Neighborhoods’ Small and Simple Grant, for the hiring of a landscape architect to develop a plan with the community for the enhancement of the park. Although the majority of the funds will be allocated to the landscape architect for a conceptual design for Lower Kinnear Park, FOLKpark will be holding three public meetings in January to gather input from stakeholders.
The second loan was for $750 through the Community Outreach Startup Fund to help launch FOLKpark’s community outreach efforts. This money has gone to basic supplies for the committee’s events and group meetings. Both loans are part of the Department of Neighborhoods’ Matching Funds program.
FOLKpark’s main objectives are:
Getting more people into Lower Kinnear Park by increasing passive and active uses of the park and strengthening neighborhood connections to and within the park.
Sustaining Lower Kinnear Park’s natural setting as a unique urban forest offering visitors a retreat from the bustle of the city.
Telling Lower Kinnear Park’s story and celebrating its significance to Seattle’s history.
FOLKparks has organized volunteers clean-up events in Lower Kinnear Park both in September and October, and they’re just getting started with their community outreach. According to FOLKpark Steering Committee Chair Deborah Frausto, the group will be launching their new website, to better connect the organization with the community it serves, later this week. They meet twice a month – on the first Tuesday and third Thursday – from 6:30 to 8:30 at the Queen Anne Neighborhood Center, located at 160 Roy St.
The group will be meeting at the Upper Kinnear Park swing set at 9 a.m. to weed, prune and mulch the beds next to the upper west entrance until noon.
The cleanup is being cosponsored by the Church of Scientology Environmental Task Force. Tools, supplies and supervision will be provided by the Seattle Parks Department.
Those interested in lending a hand should contact Phil Prahst, FOLKpark Volunteer Coordinator, at philprahst@hotmail.com.
The Lower Kinnear Park Cleanup Day will be held on Saturday, September 19 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Volunteers are needed for weeding, mulching, clearing invasive plants (like those delicious blackberry bushes all around town!) and picking up trash.
Volunteers will meet at the Roy Street entrance at Lower Kinnear Park at 8:45 in the morning, rain or shine (though don’t feel guilty if you can’t make it quite so early, volunteers are invited to stop in throughout the day to lend a hand).
Walk-ins are always welcome, but if you know you’re going to be attending, please RSVP to Phil at philprahst@hotmail.com by tomorrow, Wednesday, September 9 so the group can plan ahead.
Mark your calendars for the Kinnear Park Community Meeting, Thursday July 23rd at 7:00 pm. At the meeting you will hear updates from Seattle Parks and the Seattle Police Department, learn about what that Friends of Lower Kinnear Park (FOLKpark) has been working on, and find out how YOU can get involved in improving Kinnear Park! The meeting will be held at the Queen Anne/Magnolia Neighborhood Service Center, 160 Roy St., Seattle, WA.
Contact Christa Dumpys, Neighborhood District Coordinator at 206-684-4812 or christa.dumpys@seattle.gov for additional information.
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