The East Ballard Community Association (EBCA) is hosting a meeting on Thursday, February 18, 2010 at 6:30 p.m. to educate the community about upcoming projects along 14th Ave NW. The meeting will be at St. Alphonsus School Cafeteria, 5816 15th Ave NW. The EBCA is pursuing two different projects that will improve the Ballard neighborhood.
The first project, Planting Partnerships on 14th Ave NW, brings the community together to plant and care for the new planters at the median ends along 14th Ave NW north of Market St. These planters will be installed in April. Participants can learn about the current status of the planters and about volunteer opportunities. The volunteer hours for this project will contribute toward the Department of Neighborhoods Matching Fund Grant.
The second project is to pursue Seattle Parks and Green Spaces Levy funds to transform two blocks of 14th Ave NW between NW 59th and NW 61st into an urban park boulevard as part of the first phase implementation of the 14th Ave NW Visioning Project Plan. This is a unique opportunity to create community open space in the east Ballard neighborhood and the community is invited to help shape the future of this design.
Adds Dawn Hemminger, president of the EBCA in comments: “One of the purposes of this meeting tonight is to get this kind of input. The drawing is just a starting point to help people visualize the area. We’re going to set aside a portion of the meeting for brainstorming and discussion about how the park could be configured and what elements/activities the park should have. We want this to be a community park designed by the community and used by the community. In order to position this project favorably for Parks funding, we also need to show that the community wants a Park Boulevard. The meeting tonight is an opportunity to show this. It’s also an opportunity to meet your neighbors and participate in a community event where you can have a voice and make a difference.”
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I'm all for livable infrastructure upgrades, parks and the like. But is a strip of lawn, trees and lots of benches d going to turn 14th Ave into the urban oasis in the illustration? I doubt it.
The plan should be for an attractive, efficient space that people move *through* by foot and bike, not a series of potential campsites for the all ready large and problematic homeless population. Fewer benches lining the whole thing, a kid's playground near the middle, oversize the adjacent sidewalk and make it less squared off, a little more curvy.
Thanks for your suggestions. One of the purposes of this meeting tonight is to get this kind of input. The drawing is just a starting point to help people visualize the area. We're going to set aside a portion of the meeting for brainstorming and discussion about how the park could be configured and what elements/activities the park should have. We want this to be a community park designed by the community and used by the community. In order to position this project favorably for Parks funding, we also need to show that the community wants a Park Boulevard. The meeting tonight is an opportunity to show this. It's also an opportunity to meet your neighbors and participate in a community event where you can have a voice and make a difference.
cycletrack?
thanks the renovation will be great for the neighborhood.
The idea that people will congregate on what is basically a large parking strip is absurd. People congregate in parks that offer red=creation such as Golden Gardens. Note how empty the silly one west of this place where they built the cement chairs. There is nothing there to draw anyone. We can see grass anywhere in Seattle no need to go to a park.
Waste of money all around and it will do nothing other than increase the property taxes for property owners and eventually the rent on what is mostly apartment buildings. The buildings will then be sold and destroyed and we will have vacant lots empty for years. Eventually the empty lots will be filled with high end properties of which we have 100s now sitting empty.
then 4 horsemen will ride in with lightning bolt swords and the earth will split releasing demons from below. people will run into the streetsh melting from their bones. There will be nothing but ash and darkness and, unfortunately, Ytoo still typing away.