To encourage people to use our parks, the Parks Department is waiving the fees for some uses of Bergen Place and Marvin’s Garden.
Generally, a group must pay $75 for a permit, but not for community events at these Ballard parks. “There may exist uses which we may not be able to permit (anything lewd or objectionable or unsafe),” Dan Iverson with the Community Parks Program says,”or which we cannot waive fees on (exclusive use and private benefit are the general areas Parks needs to be careful about), but on the whole the intention is encourage activity, which generally means Parks is predisposed to waiving fees whenever possible.” In order to bypass the fees you need to go through him (dan.iverson@seattle.gov) not through the traditional channels. This announcement comes on the heels of Seattle Parks Superintendent Tim Gallagher creating an exclusion zone at the three parks.
Clarification: While all three of the downtown Ballard parks are part of the exclusion zone, the fees can be waived at Bergen Place Park and Marvin’s Garden and not Ballard Commons Park.
Fees waived for Ballard Parks
Very good news for community uses of our parks.
I agree. This makes sense.
This is one more gesture in a series of gestures by the Parks Department to help the citizens of Ballard reclaim their decaying parks. The Parks Department has been extremely responsive to our pleas for improvements that discourage crime and encourage active, positive use.
Thank you Tim Gallagher, Chris Williams, Dan Iverson, Royal Alley Barnes, Linda Hubert, Theresa McEwen, Dewey Potter, Victoria Schoenburg, Victoria Sangrey, Duane Esperson, Judith LaScola, Patrick Merriam, Cyril Ishem, and Mahesh Jain.
Thank you, thank you, thank you!
And the Swedes!
Yes, of course, the Swedes! And Rob Mattson, without whom nothing would be accomplished in Ballard.