Discovery Park

Originally named PKa'dz Eltue, the land now called Discovery Park has been inhabited by indigenous Coast Salish peoples since time immemorial. Nearly fifty years after Isaac Stevens, Washington’s first Territorial Governor, imposed exploitative policies under the Treaty of Point Elliot, the land was acquired by the United States military and transformed into Fort Lawton. Fort Lawton opened in 1898 and served as a U.S. Army base through World War I, World War II, and the Korean War. In 1938, the Army offered to sell the base back to Seattle, but the city declined because of maintenance concerns. Almost thirty years later, in 1965, Congressman Brock Adams introduced a bill to cede ownership of the land to Seattle for a city park, kicking off the Discovery Park project.

In 1972 the City of Seattle published an official proposal for the Discovery Park project. Known as the Kiley Plan, the proposal prioritized using the 450 acres of newly released land at Fort Lawton to create a large, open recreation space for Seattle's residents to escape the City's urban environment and connect with the natural landscape. This initial plan rejected all special interest recreation infrastructure, including sectioned off play fields, golf courses, and extensive roads/parking lots with the goal of preserving uninterrupted nature in the City.

The release of Fort Lawton to the city of Seattle generated various competing land use proposals, including low-income housing development, a golf course, and a sewage treatment plant. A movement led by the United Indians People's Council (now called United Indians of All Tribes Foundation or UIATF). Bernie Whitebear and Bob Satiacum organized for "the reversion of surplus military land to their original landowners," as promised in early treaties. Through a variety of political and direct actions, UIATF successfully secured a 99-year renewable lease for 17 acres of the surplus land to build an Indian Cultural-Educational Center. Daybreak Star opened in 1977, three years after the plan for Discovery Park was initially proposed.

West Point Golf Association

In 1974, the army released an additional 151 acres of land, spurring a renewed effort by local Magnolia residents to appropriate the new acreage on the southern edge of the park to a third municipal golf course. Magnolia residents Norman Dabbert and Harry Watters formed the West Point Golf Association and organized 236 paying members to petition for the inclusion of an 18-hole course at the site. This proposal received vocal opposition from the Parks Department, Mayor Wes Uhlman, environmental researchers, and various community members. In response to the efforts of the West Point Golf Association, Robert Kildall formed the Friends of Discovery Park, a group dedicated to preserving the land at Fort Lawton and opposing special interest use. In 1975 the golf club gathered enough signatures to place the initiative on the November ballot, but voters where voters rejected the proposal by a 2-1 margin.

Public Meeting on the Kiley Plan

On August 20, 1974, the Seattle City Council Parks and Public Grounds Committee held a public hearing to discuss the proposed Kiley Plan. The meeting was attended by many proponents of the plan, including community members, ecologists, city planners, interest groups, and representatives of the United Indians of All Tribes. Most participants encouraged the city to accept the plan, emphasizing the importance of protecting the large natural space. The plan was opposed by the West Point Golf Association and individuals who were in favor of a new golf course.

Testimony

Bernie Whitebear - United Indians of All Tribes Foundation (listen to audio)
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. In 1971, the United Indians of All Tribes Foundation negotiated with basically a philosophy, a philosophy that was in later years to turn into the master plan for the park. Since then, we've worked very closely with Mr. Dan Kiley, Peter Walker, and members of the Park Department in forging our efforts for a national Indian cultural center into a park, with a regional park within the city's boundaries.

We have participated in a renegotiation of the northern boundary of our property to provide for a continuance of the buffering zone around the total park. We have provided for a bikeway through our own properties so that the park's master plan would not be restricted in that manner and that people would be able to traverse through our property unrestricted.

Since then, an additional number of concerns certainly confront us with our own master planning. And our master plan is, I will add, is consistent the city's master plan for the usage of the park area, with the exception of one problem that still remains to be solved, and that's the parking or transportation alternatives. When the total Indian Center is complete and we're at peak usage, at that point, then we see some concerns that will have to be answered, concerning transportation and parking.

But even in light of that, we have to defend the master plan as it's presently concepted. And we feel that even on our own property, nobody is restricted from using the property, regardless of race or activity. And because of that, I feel that we have to support the master plan. Thank you.

Robert Kildall – Friends of Discovery Park (listen to audio)
My name is Robert Kildall, I live at 2801 46th Avenue West, and I'm representing Friends of Discovery Park. The Friends of Discovery Park voted unanimously in a meeting July 22nd to support the revised Kiley master plan for Discovery Park and recommend the City Council adopt it as their prime guideline for future development of this magnificent park.

Discovery Park cannot be the answer to everyone's proposals without fragmenting the park beyond restoration. Friends of Discovery Park, the organization that is, is and will continue to be, an organization of individuals and groups who helped to the city to obtain Fort Lawton as a park and others who are interested in its future. We will defend the central purpose of the plan - that is that this park shall provide an open space of quiet and tranquility for the citizens of this city.

While it was a proposal of the golf course that crystallized the need for such a protective group, we intend to be effective far into the future and resist any special interest proposals that are not compatible with the plan. And we will support our elected officials in defending the integrity of the master plan. Dan Kiley said that the pressures for just using parts of the park undoubtedly would constitute the greatest single threat to Fort Lawton in the future.

And this has happened in many other great parks in the world. We intend to provide this defense very much, very similar to the way Friends of Central Park in New York have done for nearly 100 years and have been able to preserve, I think it's nearly a thousand acres of some of the most highly valued land as a refuge for those citizens.

The history of Discovery Park at Fort Lawton is unusual. The first organization, Citizens for Fort Lawton Park, was chaired by Donald S. Voorhees, our new United States District Judge. It included groups that ranged from the Seattle Planning and Redevelopment Council and the Seattle King County Board of Realtors to the Sierra Club, League of Women Voters, and the American Federation of Scientists.

At that time, what crystallized the need for the Citizens Group was a proposal for an anti-ballistic missile site at Fort Lawton, which was also the West Coast controls - change right through my hair [sic] - West Coast control Center for Radar. It appeared impossible to most of the citizens that Fort Lawton would become a park, and as citizens we had voted only $3 million in Forward Thrust money to acquire property that was valued at $75 million.

And at that time the city had to pay 50% of the assessed valuation. With the help of our city, state, and national elected officials, in particular the efforts of Senator Henry M. Jackson, an entirely new national land policy was established that allowed this land to be given to the city without charge. Not one dime was spent to acquire the land, and the $3 million voted by the people was then made available to develop and plan the park, and I consider it one of the most successful citizens' actions in this city in at least a decade.

This action generated by the people has not only enabled Seattle to hopefully acquire Sand Point, but it has allowed cities, cities throughout the nation to gain open space land that they could never afford to buy. It really was a miracle, and it started in the hearts and minds of Seattle citizens. And more than any park in Seattle, Discovery Park is and will be the park of the people.

Richard Fleming – University of Washington Institute for Environmental Studies (listen to audio)
Good morning. I'm Dr. Fleming from the University of Washington. The Institute for Environmental Studies at the University of Washington was asked to undertake an inventory of the natural history at Discovery Park. And starting in January or February this year, members of the faculty in zoology, botany, geology, oceanography and their students have undertaken an extensive study of the park, and I hope you'll view my comments as information, but I'm not a proponent or an opponent.

But I thought it would be appropriate to read to you the paragraph that addresses the possibility of a golf course at the park. Unfortunately, Mr. Donald Tubbs, who has done this work, was unable to attend today, and so I will read it for him. Mr. Tubbs is a graduate student at the University of Washington, just about ready to receive his degree. As you're probably aware, he's done his graduate work on the problems of landslides in King County.

And so I'll read the paragraph he's written. I think you're aware of the fact that Fort Lawton is the type locality for the description [sic] of the contact between the Esperance Sands and the Lawton Clays. And what happens much of the winter when the precipitation falls, strikes the ground, the Lawton - excuse me, the Esperance Sands are very coarse sands, water percolates down through them, hits the Lawton Clays, which are largely impermeable, and moves along that contact until it comes to the surface. And it comes to the surface around Alki Point and Golden Gardens and Perkins Lane and Fort Lawton.

There has been a recent proposal that a portion of Discovery Park be used for a municipal golf course. Presumably the golf course be located on the southwestern part of Discovery Park, where the uplands comprise relatively level meadows. And I might add parenthetically that I cannot specifically address the location because we have yet to see any sort of layout of a golf course. From geological considerations, such a use can be expected to have significant, significant effect upon land sliding along the South Bluff within and adjacent to Discovery Park.

The development and maintenance of such a golf course would require the applications of large quantities of water, particularly in view of the droughting nature of the soil, which we've been told doesn't have any puddles. Some of this water would percolate downward through the Esperance Sands and increase the amount of groundwater emerging along the Esperance Sands-Lawton Clays contact.

As previously discussed, it is the seepage of this groundwater along the Esperance Sands and Lawton Clays contact that is the primary cause of land sliding along South Bluff. Thus, an increase in the amount of groundwater recharge in the area proposed for the golf course should result in the increased land sliding along South Bluff. Considering the present rapid retreat of the cliff along South Bluff, the increased rate of cliff retreat could be very significant.

Norm Dabbert – President, West Point Golf Association (listen to audio)
Okay. Norm Dabbert, president of the West Point Golf Association. We, the West Point Golf Association, with our paid membership of 236 supporters, still support Discovery Park as a worthy project and that the original 400 acres are fully sufficient for the proposed intentions. Let us use some sound perception and reasoning in the usage of this additional acreage and not increase the financial burdens that are ultimately scrounged from the vulnerable taxpayer.

Let's face the facts. This 151-acre plot is the last open area within Seattle's western section available for an 18-hole golf course which will serve the people of Ballard, Green Lake, Wallingford, Queen Anne, and Magnolia and the downtown area. A survey taken at the Magnolia community picnic on July 21st revealed that a majority supported a golf course at Fort Lawton, and they also supported the Kiley plan.

Interestingly, 69% of the Kiley plan endorses supported athletic and recreation usage at Discovery Park. The final survey results are not available at this time. Far sighted municipalities are now buying vacant land for future golf courses so that condemnation proceedings will be eliminated and the tax dollars disbursed with consideration and sensible and worthy objective reality. We refer you to our comments in a letter dated August 19th to the Honorable Sam Smith, president of the City Council, regarding the revision of the master plan for Discovery Park, and I have given you each a letter.

The original estimate of 500,000 for this 18-hole municipal golf course would obligate our city to contribute 125,000, our state 125,000, and the federal government 250,000. If grass were secured under the Land and Water Conservation Act of 1965 - which incidentally was authored in Congress by Senator Jackson - in his letter to us of May 24th, 1974, the Senator offered, if a decision is made by the city park officials to use these 151 acres for a golf course, you would be eligible for a 50% matching fund from the Land and Water Fund Act of 1965. If a decision is made by the city and the people -and again, I reemphasize the people - and this is Senator Jackson talking, that 151 acres should be used for a golf course, I would be happy to do what I can to help out with the Bureau of Outdoos Recreation who controls the money.

This 120-acre 18-hole golf course would require about one fifth of the total park and additional acreage and would not disturb the Sea Garden area and the western part of the Southwest Meadows. We propose that the revised master plan include the integration of this golf course with Discovery Park to amplify security in the park, to establish a natural buffer zone for the Magnolia neighborhood, and to be a useful recreation area such as a golf course.

This course will be challenging, scenic, and the driest winter course in Seattle. I'm repeating myself, but several months ago in March, I played the Jackson course in the morning and there were water puddles and soft ground in the valley areas. That afternoon, Dick Haskell and I took 25 soil samples at the anticipated course site and found that the average lawn depth had about 12 inches and the grass with six-inch root systems, ideal for a heavily used fairway.

Best of all, we did not find one water puddle and the ground was firm due to the natural drain towards Puget Sound, Ideal for a successful and self-supporting golf course. We hear that our three municipal courses are not self-supporting. Let's not evaluate and use the last couple of years which experienced heavy expenditures, but use the park and recreational annual reports. For the last 14 years, since 1960, the average of expenses versus receipts for this period was 99.1%, self-supporting.

Let's recommend to the City Council your endorsement of a municipal golf course consisting of 18 holes at Fort Lawton and have the council share in a spotlight of a major sport accomplishment this year.

Listen to the entire meeting in Digital Collections. Citation: Parks and Public Grounds Committee Meeting, August 20, 1974. Event ID 2467, Seattle City Council Legislative Department Audio Recordings, 4601-03.

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