Sustainable Magnolia, a local group committed to promoting sustainability at the community level, has received a $20,000 award from the Department of Neighborhoods (DON) through its Small and Simple matching grant program to fund a community-driven project entitled ”Envisioning a Vibrant Community Gathering Place for Magnolia Manor Park.”
The project will result in the first comprehensive site planning process for Magnolia Manor Park since it was created 15 years ago. A project committee representing a cross-section of neighborhood interests, including sustainability, P-Patches, and dog off-leash areas, has been formed, with members Alice Burgess, Cathy VanDyke, Grace Huang, Lyon Terry, Nancy Spragins, Monica Wooton, Steve Cellini, Susan Casey, and Toni Imfeld.
Magnolia Manor Park, located at 3500 28th Avenue West, is an approximately 1-acre parcel maintained by the Seattle Department of Parks and Recreation and owned by Seattle Public Utilities (SPU). The site is part of a larger 5-acre plot containing a lidded reservoir operated by SPU.
The project committee is currently selecting a landscape architect who will facilitate discussions with the community and city agencies and create site plan proposals based on community input gathered at three public meetings to be held in the coming months.
According to Spragins, chair of the project committee and a member of Sustainable Magnolia, “The public meetings are a great opportunity for the community to have an open conversation about how it would like to use Magnolia Manor Park.” Spragins hopes that “through this process, the park can become a mixed-use place of beauty, vibrancy, and sustainability for all members of the community.”
The site plan proposals will incorporate a dog off-leash area (OLA), following a public process and subsequent decision in 2006 by the Parks Board of Trustees and Parks Superintendent. There are funds from the 2008 Parks and Green Spaces Levy ($70,000) allocated for this use.
Based on community input, and subject to site constraints, other elements will be considered, such as community gardens (according to the Department of Parks and Recreation, Magnolia is in a gap area for P-Patches and may qualify for Parks and Green Spaces funding for this element), a play area for children, picnicking, or other uses. The project team is also working with the Emergency Preparedness Committee (EPC) on plans to incorporate EPC’s Hub Site requirements.
Spragins notes that this project is an important first step: “After the Schematic Design is completed in June, more grants and fund-raising will be needed before actual construction can begin.”
Specific dates for the three public meetings, to be held in the February to June 2011 timeframe, have not yet been set. The public can check for updates on the project sign at the entrance to the park, or the project web site at www.magnoliamanorpark.org.
[[In-content Ad]]