Queen Anne View » parks

Parking spaces transform into parks this Friday

Geeky Swedes — Mon, 13 Sep 2010 18:23:37 +0000

Temporary parks will be popping up all around Seattle this coming Friday for a global event called “PARK(ing)” day.

A 2009 “PARK(ing) spot in Greenwood.

The event, sponsored by Feet First, allows people “grow” parks out of parking spots. “The average city dedicates about 20 percent of its public land to the movement and storage of automobiles, including roads and parking,” the press release from Feet First states. “PARK(ing) Day shows city residents what urban space can look and feel like when more public land is allocated for parks, art, recreation, social interactions, and other people-centric pursuits—rather than vehicles.

It doesn’t look like there will be any Park(ing) parks in Queen Anne this year, but other “PARKs” around the city can be found here (.pdf.)

Playground parents, put this # in your cell phone

Marina Gordon — Thu, 05 Aug 2010 17:16:58 +0000

During the summer we spend a lot of time at playgrounds. With all the camps, daycares and neighborhood kids who put the playgrounds through their paces every day, equipment is bound to break. We see broken and sometimes dangerous structures and equipment fairly often.

If you’re at a playground and see something that should be fixed, call the Seattle Parks and Recreation Department’s 24-Hour Maintenance Request Line at 206-684-7250 to request a repair.

Queen Anne community center and pool safe, East Queen Anne wading pool cut to 3 days a week

Doug Alder — Mon, 14 Jun 2010 17:56:17 +0000

The Queen Anne Community Center and Pool will stay open as normal for the rest of this year, but the East Queen Anne wading pool is being cut back to only 3 days a week. That news came down this morning as the mayor announced his mid-year budget cuts. The only areas that took a big hit in the Parks budget were wading pools and park maintenance. The East Queen Anne wading pool will be open Sundays, Mondays, and Tuesdays from noon to 7pm (June 27 – August 22).

The mayor also decided against any cuts to the fire department budget in the wake of the deadly weekend fire in Fremont. You can see the complete list of cuts here.

Mid-year budget cuts coming Monday

Doug Alder — Fri, 11 Jun 2010 16:28:46 +0000

We’ll soon know the fate of the Queen Anne Community Center and Pool. The mayor’s mid-year budget cuts will be announced on Monday (6/14), including any cuts to the city’s Parks and Recreation department.

Queen Anne residents turned out in force back in May to fight to keep the center open. The cuts being announced for the rest of this year could involve closing centers or programs, scaling back hours, or doing nothing at all. Even if the Queen Anne center survives this mid-year round of cuts, there is still concern about even more cuts for 2011.

The mid-year cuts will be unveiled during the City Council’s budget committee meeting on Monday at 10:30am. We’ll bring you all the details, or you can watch live on the Seattle Channel (21 on Comcast) or online.

1,500 volunteer for Seattle Works Day Saturday

Thea — Sat, 22 May 2010 00:28:57 +0000

Over 1,500 volunteers will be cleaning up 28 sites around town from noon to 3:30 p.m. tomorrow, Saturday, May 22 as part of Seattle Works Day.

And after spending the afternoon fixing up parks, p-patches, community centers and other neighborhood spots citywide, volunteers are invited to a Seattle Works Day after party at Seattle Center!

Registration is $30 per person and includes and event t-shirt and access to the after party. All proceeds go toward Seattle Works and its year-round mission “to connect local organizations with enthusiastic and dedicated volunteers.”

Feel like getting your hands dirty with some volunteer work this weekend? Get more information at the Seattle Works website.

Update on fate of community center & pool

Doug Alder — Mon, 17 May 2010 21:47:47 +0000

Concern continues to grow about the future of the Queen Anne Community Center and Pool. Today, Queen Anne View learned the city’s Parks Department submitted its “budget papers” for 2011, which identify issues and potential service cuts. We’re told some facilities are on that list, but a spokesperson for the Parks Department could not provide any specifics until the mayor’s office makes its recommendations.

As for the rest of 2010, the mayor is set to announce mid-year budget cuts around June 1. Community centers, pools, and wading pools across the city are facing closure as the Parks Department tries to trim its budget.

Parks & Green Spaces Levy meeting tonight

Thea — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 07:20:24 +0000

Just a reminder, there is a Parks and Green Spaces Oversight Committee meeting tonight, Monday, November 9 and the city is asking community members to contribute their feedback and help develop the Opportunity Fund Project Criteria (.pdf), a set of standards for applying and being awarded grants from the $15 million the Parks and Green Spaces Levy Opportunity Fund allotted to community-initiated projects last year.

The funds can be used for anything from buying new park land, to developing a new trail, garden or park or improving upon already existing public spaces. The oversight committee hopes to develop the final criteria by January so that they will be able to accept applications in the spring and begin the implementation of these projects in January 2011. Tonight’s meeting on the draft proposal will begin at 7 p.m. at the Parks Administration Building (located at 100 Dexter Avenue N). More information here.

There’s still time to nominate local park heros for a Denny Award

Thea — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 07:45:25 +0000

City parks rely on the dedicated volunteers contribute their time and effort to keep the public parks clean, and available for everyone to enjoy. So why not nominate active members in your community parks for the Seattle Parks and Recreation Department’s 6th Annual Denny Awards?

The Denny Awards acknowledge and honor the crucial role volunteers play in neighborhood parks, community centers, and recreation programs throughout the city. Volunteers help Parks and Recreation staff and management in the work of the department and give valuable advice on important decisions about our Parks and Recreation facilities and operations. Volunteers pull ivy and plant native trees in our parks, coach kids’ sports, work as docents at selected parks and the Seattle Aquarium, and serve on various advisory councils and boards

The awards are named for Seattle pioneers the Denny family, who were dedicated to preserving park land and open space for the public. David and Louisa Denny donated land for the first Seattle park, Denny Park, in 1884 (it was originally donated to the city in 1864 as a cemetery, being rededicated as a public park almost 20 years later).

Minimum qualifications for Denny Award nominees are:

Demonstrated exceptional stewardship to parks and/or recreation;
Provided stellar leadership related to enhancing and preserving parks and/or recreation programs;
Demonstrated a significant personal commitment of time and effort to assist the Seattle Parks and Recreation department; and
Gained respect of community peers for efforts to help Seattle Parks and Recreation.

The award nomination form deadline was originally this Thursday, October 1, but has been extended to next Wednesday, October 7. Winners will be honored at an awards ceremony on Tuesday, November 17.

Temporary (PARK)ing spots pop up around town

Thea — Fri, 18 Sep 2009 16:09:51 +0000

Today is global PARK(ing) Day, sponsored locally by Feet First, an event where parking spaces around town are transformed into into temporary public parks. Check out this map of all the temporary parks popping up around Seattle (.pdf map here). There aren’t any new parks in Queen Anne, but there are two Downtown, on Westlake, and one over in Ballard.

More on what (PARK)ing Day is, where it began and how you can get involved, here.

Deadline to register for PARK(ing) Day tomorrow

Thea — Fri, 28 Aug 2009 00:58:10 +0000

Want to bring PARK(ing) day to Queen Anne? The last day to register with organizer Feet First is tomorrow, Friday, August 28.

For more information on global PARK(ing) Day, and how to participate, click here.