Lower Taylor Creek Restoration Project
Project Update 4/3/2013
Seattle Public Utilities has accepted a purchase offer for 10042 Rainier Ave S. We expect the sale to be completed by the end of April.
Project Update 3/14/2013
House at 10042 Rainier Ave S now on the market
SPU, working with James Tjoa and Associates, is currently selling residential property with a home at 10042 Rainier Ave S, adjacent to the lower Taylor Creek habitat restoration site. View property details. If you would like more information on the property or know someone who might be interested, please contact James at (206) 726-6230 or james@jamestjoa.com.
Opportunity for community input on public access at lower Taylor Creek – send us your comments by April 5
As a first step in our Public Access Option Analysis, SPU and Parks have developed public access options for the lower Taylor Creek site and evaluation criteria to assess those options. We welcome your feedback on the draft options and evaluation criteria! Please review the mailer (pdf) and provide your input. You can also provide your feedback by mailing in the form at the end of the mailer. We will be accepting comments until April 5th, 2013.
Project Background
Lower Taylor Creek is located near the south end of Lake Washington in southeast Seattle. The creek originates in the Skyway area of unincorporated King County and passes through a natural area ravine and residential yards, and through a culvert under Rainier Ave S before discharging into the lake. The culvert, along with other barriers, prevents fish passage upstream to Deadhorse Canyon. In general, the lower stream flows through areas with poor habitat.
In 2010 and 2011, Seattle Public Utilities (SPU) purchased five parcels of waterfront property at the lower reaches of the creek, which has provided SPU an opportunity to:
- Improve the stream channel and surrounding habitat, particularly for Chinook salmon
- Remove the last fish passage barriers between Lake Washington and Deadhorse Canyon
- Replace the public culvert under Rainier Avenue S
- Address storm-related flooding and sediment deposition at the mouth of the creek (as possible)
SPU plans to design and permit the restoration project in 2014-2015. Project construction will occur in 2015-2016.
Public Access Options Analysis
In 2013, SPU and Seattle Parks and Recreation will be evaluating public access options for the project site to determine if and what kind of public access occurs at the project site once the project is completed. The evaluation will consider habitat restoration needs, City-wide interests, and nearby community concerns. SPU and Parks will publish a Public Access Options Analysis Report to document this work and engage the community and other City departments throughout the decision-making process.
Schedule
SPU began soliciting community input about lower Taylor Creek restoration in late 2011 and early 2012, and will continue collecting feedback throughout the entire options analysis process.
Contact
If you have questions or would like to be involved in the lower Taylor Creek Restoration Project, please attend the public meetings or contact Julie Crittenden, SPU Project Manager, at julie.crittenden@seattle.gov or (206) 233-7164.
Related Documents
Lower Taylor Creek Restoration Project FAQ (pdf)
Community meeting summary - 2/16/2012 (pdf)
Community meeting summary - 8/31/2011 (pdf)
Conceptual Design (pdf)
Issues and Concerns (pdf)