Being Strategic with our parks

Remember that good old Pro parks levy that we, as a city, agreed to impose upon ourselves?  You know the one - it was funded to the tune of 198.2 million dollars and was used throughout the city to acquire new greenspaces and renovate existing ones.  Some of the work in our own neighborhood included:

• Landscaping and pathway improvements to Columbia Park.
• Seward Park had it's former garage renovated into an Activity room for recreational and environmental education programs
• The main Seward Park Annex building was renovated in conjunction with the Audubon society, with a lease signed allowing the Audubon folks to occupy a portion of the building for 10 years with an option to extend for another 10
• The rainier playfields had pathway improvements, as well as some landscaping
• Lake Washington Blvd between Mt Baker swimming beach and Seward Park had a bunch of improvements, including a crushed rock path to replace the old dirt path, and some pretty major renovation of the parking lot at Stan Sayres to improve drainage.
• Graham hill school saw it's play area revamped, replacing all of the old asphalt with grass and a bunch of play equipment
• And of course one of the first projects to get funded by the Pro Parks levy, the complete re-working of Genesee playfields, turning one of the grass fields to turf, adding some pedestrian pathways and crosswalks.

Well the funds are starting to run out, and the city is trying to figure out what's next for it's parks.  It's starting a review of what's formally titled the "Seattle Parks and Recreation Strategic Business Plan".  They're not looking for input on specific projects so much as trying to decide what types of investments they should focus on.  For example, do you find the swimming beach at Seward park more important than the running trails along Lake Washington?  Or maybe you're more into quiet corner parks where you can sit and read like Columbia Park?

Either way, now's your chance to give some feedback.  Easiest way to is spend 5 minutes filling out their survey or (even better) you can attend one of the public meetings.

Be heard and make our parks better!