Parks and Green Spaces Levy
Environment Projects

The $6.6 million Environment category in the Parks and Green Spaces Levy is dedicated to creating a healthy ecosystem for Seattle. This “green” funding has three types of projects: Forest and stream restoration, community gardens and shoreline access.

FOREST AND STREAM RESTORATION

The Levy provides funding for the work of the Green Seattle Partnership. The Green Seattle Partnership formed in 2004 and is working to restore 2,500 acres of forested park land in Seattle by 2025. The unique public/private effort is the largest urban forest restoration project in the nation. Levy funding contributed to the restoration of 126 acres of urban forest in the first two years of the Levy.

P-PATCH

The Department of Neighborhoods P-Patch program is managing the development of community gardens and P-Patch projects. The Levy allocates $2 million to create four new community gardens. The program will leverage its original funding to build up to 15 new and expanded gardens by 2013.

SHORELINE ACCESS

Seattle’s urban landscape is dotted with bodies of water that help shape the City’s character and defines its identity. While much of it is private or park land, 149 public streets in Seattle end on waterfronts. The Levy contributes funding to develop approximately 10 Shoreline Street Ends. These public street ends along Lake Washington, Lake Union, Puget Sound and other waterways provide Seattle an opportunity to increase public shoreline access.

Seattle Parks and Recreation is partnering with Seattle Department of Transportation to implement Levy funded improvements. (See Seattle’s Shoreline Street Ends Program) Basic actions will be taken to open these spaces for use, including signage and options such as benches, bicycle racks, and minor landscaping. The improvement designs provide physical and/or visual access to the shoreline/water environment at several locations.

The first three locations improved in 2011:

• Spokane Street East Side/East Waterway (19)

  Located under the West Seattle Bridge overlooking the Duwamish.  Seattle Parks installed curb cut and pathway, bench, bicycle rack, signage and covered soil with wood chips.

  Improved Site

• SW Bronson Way (10)

  This project is located in the large parking lot south of Salty’s Restaurant with outstanding views of Elliott Bay and the City skyline. We created a dedicated pedestrian viewing area and replaced guard rail with low wall, replaced compacted gravel with concrete pad, installed bollards, 3 benches, bicycle rack and planting beds with pine trees.

  Improved Site

• S Fidalgo Street (26)

  Located in the Georgetown neighborhood between industrial uses overlooking the Duwamish River this project replaced asphalt with concrete pad, cleared blackberries and removed glass debris, installed bench, table, wheel stops and signage.

  Improved Site

2013 Projects:
Planned to be complete by end of 2013.

• Riverside Street End and Shoreline Improvement in the South Park Neighborhood (34)

  Public Meeting Thursday, July 26, 2012 » Meeting notice » Diagrams » Concept Plan

  Project Site

  This project will open the street end for public use by removing trash, restoring the shoreline along the Duwamish River, install pathway, benches, native landscaping, signage and possibly other access improvements. Design and public involvement will take place this summer 2012 with construction in the fall.  Construction will be completed by December 2013. Partners: Port of Seattle, Seattle Parks Foundation and Seattle Department of Transportation

• NE 130th Street (123) or NE 135th St. (122)

  Located adjacent to the Burke Gilman Trail, these shoreline street ends includes an empty site with a low bank access to the water and a fenced permitted encroachment. Research is underway now to help decide how to move forward. Improvements could include a bench, picnic table, low maintenance plantings and hand-carry boat access to Lake Washington.

• 72nd Avenue S (40)

  Located in the south Rainier Beach neighborhood, this street end is a low bank with a steep driveway access.  Improvements include signage, picnic table, and access to the water’s edge.

  Project Site Concept Plan

• 75th Avenue S (39)

  Located in the south Rainier Beach neighborhood, this street end is a higher bank and covered with brush. Draft plan is to clear and sign a viewing platform along the sidewalk to overlook the lake.

  Project Site Concept Plan

• S Oregon Street (24)

  Located on the east side of the Duwamish River, in an industrial context, this is a river overlook site. Improvements could include public access signage, a picnic table and invasive vegetation removal.  Concept Plan

• 20th Ave NW (143)

  Located in Ballard within a quarter mile of the Burke Gilman Trail, this site is a low bank and could include hand-carry boat access. Improvements may include clear signage, bench or table, bicycle rack and environmental improvements to the water’s edge.

  Project Site Concept Plan

• 36th Ave NW (147)

  Located in Ballard on the north side of the canal below the locks and adjacent to the Burke Gilman Trail. Site improvements could include overlook and path down to the shoreline.  Concept Plan

• Mc Graw Street End (109)

  Located in the Magnolia neighborhood, this site includes views of the Olympic Mountains and Mt. Rainier. It is low bank access to Puget Sound with hand-carry boat access. Improvements could include a trail, signage, landscaping, and benches and/or tables.

  Site Photos Concept Plan

The project numbers, following street end names, designate location on the Seattle Department of Transportation map located on page 2 of the Shoreline Street Ends document.

For questions or comments regarding these Street End Improvement projects please contact:

Cheryl Eastberg
SPU/Parks Project Coordinator
Seattle Parks and Recreation
206-386-4381
Cheryl.eastberg@seattle.gov
         Or
R. Frank Robinson
Sr. Landscape Architect
206-684-7035
r.frank.robinson@seattle.gov

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