Discuss a new park for Ballard

Geeky Swedes Ballard

In 2008 voters approved the Parks and Green Spaces Levy which provides $146 million over six years for neighborhood parks and acquisition of property. Meet with Groundswell Northwest and Seattle Parks and Recreation for a community forum to talk about the possibility of a new neighborhood park in the Ballard urban village. The meeting will be held on Tuesday Oct. 6th from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. at the Ballard Community Center (6020 28th Ave NW.)

Geeky Swedes

The founders of My Ballard

20 thoughts to “Discuss a new park for Ballard”

  3. Ya know, first let me say I love parks, and I use them frequently. But I don't understand why we're building all sorts of new parks when we can't afford to maintain the ones we've already got. King County is threatening to shut down 39 parks or hand them over to the cities for lack of maintenance funds. Ballard neighbors have been fighting for some time to get police patrols to roust the drug dealers out of Ballard's three existing “urban village” parks so everyday citizens will feel comfortable using the public spaces. WTF are they thinking creating NEW ones? Why don't we concentrate on cleaning up and maintaining the parks we've got first? I just don't get it.

  5. The Ballard urban village is roughly bounded by NW 65th at north and NW Leary on the south, 28 NW on the west and 14 NW on the east. NW Market has extensions a couple blocks to the east and west.

    Here's a map of the city's urban centers and villages
    http://www.seattle.gov/dpd/cms/groups/pan/@pan/…

    Here's a link to very recent rezone to the urban village area
    http://www.seattle.gov/dpd/Planning/BallardURV/…

    As for possibility of a new park, attend the forum and participate.

    Unfortunately for some parents, it's the same evening as the Seattle schools work shop on new school attendance boundaries, our first look at what SPS has come up with.

  8. Thanks for the map link and the upzone line. It simply cracks me up. Of all the places in the city that really are “villages,” neither of them are on the map: Magnolia and Madison Park (Madison Valley is). And Crown Hill? A village? Or Bitter Lake area? It seems this is an idea of urban planning schools and arbitrary lines are drawn on maps, thinking, voila, an urban village! I guess it's making someone in government feel good about all the massive high density development they permitted during the last decade.

    On the other hand, another park in “downtown” Ballard might be nice, preventing more canyons of condos (what's the t-shirt I just saw: Ballard, a sleepy drinking village with a condo problem). It's a good time in the real estate market for the city to pick up some land…

  9. King County is threatening to shut down 39 parks that are outside city jurisdiction. That's totally irrelevant here — King County wouldn't have to manage this one.

    There's no reason we can't have more parks. New ones do OK: Ballard Corners Park opened up last year and it's had just one incident of graffiti since it's been open (that I know of, anyway).

  10. Gurple, I know King County and Seattle are different entities … that's why I said one of King County's proposed “fixes” is to hand the county parks over to the cities for maintenance.

  13. Re: Turning Salmon Bay Sand & Gravel in to a park. At some point, Ballard ceases to be Ballard and becomes a big shopping mall for organic dog toys and gourmet hamburgers. If we chase out all the light industry and actual productive businesses and replace them with ear rings and cupcake stores, we'll evolve into Disneyland. Parks and Rec yes, but not at the continued expense of the core businesses that gave us our identity. A village needs something real at its center – like real working people.

  15. The new village of ballard has real working people…they just commute as is the plan. Do you really know how many people that work at the place you mentioned actually live in ballard. As has been mentioned in other forums, business does not want to be here as illustrated by empty office space and new developments do not have office spaces in them, just retail and restaurant. If industrial businesses OTHER THAN the ones running rough shod over the wishes of the community, yes ballard oil and salmon bay $G, thought ballard was a good location, ballard blocks would be INDUSTRIAL BUSINESSES! The fight to keep ballard industrial was down for the count when fred meyer went in and with the construction of ballard blocks and others. So lament the loss of ballard's identity. I understand the sentiment. But there is no room for that in modern business and city planning. Getting misty eyed about Salmon Bay $G is ridiculous. According to government agency documents, it appears they have infractions regarding environmental rules and procedure while using same against others. It is only a matter of time before that land gets sold for a handsome profit and they are relocated with a sweet government handout and tax breaks. That company will be gone with high fives in a cloud of dust with trucks and money speeding away and they won't look back. And that will make a really nice park. Whether it is private for the condo owners or public for the community remains to be seen.

  17. Stow the sarcasm Motorrad. The “high-five” comments say more about you than about anything else. Salmon Bay S&G has been around providing employment and building Seattle for over 100 years. Of course they thought that was a good location; the waterway is how they get their raw materials. And what are the infractions? Have you looked? Just asking.

    I'm only saying that you can choose to live in a pretty or a real town. You shout: INDUSTRIAL BUSINESS like it's the gate to the dark side. When actually, it was the light industry that was the foundation of communities we love.

    You can imitate life or live where people work and get their hands dirty and have real lives. You actually can live be a duck-on- a-stick bedroom community if you want to. The area around Issaquah is very pretty. You might look out there.

    Look, I'm not down on parks or livable cities. I just think the cooperative development of Ballard would be better rather than running “roughshod” over the businesses that have created it. (why is it such a problem to get an impact statement for the BG Trail?)

    Sadly, however, as mamaC says, despite the attitude issues and the silly demonizaton of BUSINESS, you may be right on the outcome.

  18. This isn't about parks v business or bikes v industry – we need all to be a truly vibrant community. One of the reasons I love Ballard is that it has all the elements of an independent small town, including the industrial area. It's unfortunate that the industrial base has been eroded, but I don't agree that it's destined to disappear completely, or that bike trails or parks can't co-exist with industry.

    The fact is that Ballard has the least useable open space per capita of any neighborhood in Seattle outside of downtown. We passed the parks levy last year with a strong majority because people recognize the value of parks and green spaces. The meeting on the 6th is a chance for Ballardites – residents, employees, business owners, all – to weigh in on what kinds of parks and open spaces they want, where they are most needed and how they can be designed and programmed to maximize their benefit to the community and minimize problems. Hope to see you there.

  20. SunsetHillGuy_ Easy to be romantically idealistic when you don't live any where near the industrial areas you find so vital. That is precious. Driving by is nothing like living near it. My post had nothing to do with my opinions or prejudices, but your response did. What is it that the high five comment says? I won't presume and am not sure who owns the land SB$G occupies or the last time it changed hands but it will obviously bring a very substantial profit. That is fact. There will be a point when it is beneficial to sell the land and move the business to maximize profit. Business. How is that sarcastic. Do you think SB$G will stand out on the road weeping while wiping tears with their cash because they are leaving Ballard? They will be gone without regrets. But they are doing everything they can in their own self interest before they leave. That is what I have a problem with. If you don't see the truth in the statements you are naive. As for the infractions and other research? Yes I have read them. I have also spoken with an attorney involved and law offices of another involved in the missing link case. I have confirmed a serious conflict of interest involved with the city organizations as well and brought this to light. So I have actually researched AND made calls.

    It is interesting that you deride white collar and professional jobs and that you judge the only REAL jobs involve getting dirty hands. What an offensive statement. I don't judge the value of a person or their occupation by the cleanliness of their hands. As for the missing link fiasco, you are obviously drinking their kool aid and won't waste my time. You obviously didn't comprehend my post and made assumptions that are wrong. I did not voice opinions here. You mistake facts for opinion. The presence of Ballard Blocks and Fred Meyer are irrefutable. The efforts to make ballard a high density community of commuters are irrefutable.You sir, do not have a say or a choice in the future of ballard. Nor do I. The plan was put in motion years ago by people that have real power.

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