This is the last time I’m going to give this jackass publicity.  But if anyone knows this person, as some of the emails that have come in suggests, please try to explain that this does nothing but hurt our ability to build more skateparks.  Thanks.

JEFFERSON PREFERRED CONCEPT (PDF)

I just got word that the one and only meeting for the stealthy Crown Hill skatespot will be on August 2, from 6-8pm at the Crown Hill Center – 9250 14th Ave NW, Seattle, WA 98117.

Show up and get your input in!

According to MyBallard.com and the Seattle Parks Website, there will be a new skatespot up North by the Fall of 2011.

This comes at a time when Delridge is taking for-freakin’-ever and Maple Leaf skaters got straight up jacked.  I guess you can’t win ‘em all.

But I tell you what, Seattle Parks project manager Kim Baldwin sure knows how to get it done.  This one was presumed to have been DOA.  With Lower Woodland, Jefferson, and now Crown Hill under her belt, she’s looking to take the title from the reigning SPD skatepark champion, Kelly Davidson (Dahl, Delridge, and the Capitol Hill skatedot).

As usual, don’t celebrate until the ‘crete is dry, but this is a great little amendment to the system up in the NW corner of our soon-to-be-skateable city.

Watch here for the meeting notices and get your ass out there. These projects have a way of going South unless there’s a solid base of support behind them.  You never know when those crafty lawn bowlers are going to sneak up and snatch your turf.

Only 4 months in the making, which relatively speedy by Seattle Parks standards, the Jefferson skatepark design is to be unveiled tomorrow night at 6:45pm.

Three skaters showed up to the last meeting, which would’ve been a great time to get feeedback in, so it should be interesting to see who shows and what goes down.  It’s probably a bit late to get major changes in, but several things came out in the last meeting and in the Grindline forums that may be reflected in the amended design:

• separating the flow area into two smaller bowls to accommodate more simultaneous skating
• squaring off the deep end for true vert skating
• bringing the street section into focus because Seattle needs it
• the effect of Seattle Parks discovering a huge underground utility line that runs right across the middle of the site, making sub-grade features a no-go in the place that makes the most sense to have them

I’m mostly just curious to see who shows up.  Even though it’s billed as the presentation of the schematic design, changes have been made after the “final” meeting in the past.  They don’t really need to have a meeting to unveil a design, so it should be assumed they want your feedback.  Show up if you care.

The meeting will be held in the usual spot:  Jefferson Park Community Center.

Nancy from SLAG wrote in with an interesting event note.  Who doesn’t like skating to the French National Anthem?  Most interesting of all is the fact that kids can earn community service hours by participating.  Don’t be surprised if there are more rollerbladers than usual.  I’m just warning you now.  The French love the blades.

Check it out:

“Hey all-

Wanted to let you know that there is a skate event taking place July 11th, part of the French Cultural fest: Bastille Day (1:30 -4:30pm) so if you want to come down and just be part of the fun, or know of any students looking for community service, they can come volunteer by skating in the demo, helping to instruct and to run fun games for younger kids.

James Starlin will be emceeing the day, and rounding up skaters to do demos.
I will be in charge of the clinic.

Also this also extends to the 12 and Under skates from 10am-12pm on Saturdays at SeaSk8.
It’s a way of building continued support for skateparks in Seattle.

Thanks for all the work you do, and enjoy summer!

Nancy

–
Skate Like a Girl (Seattle)”

As Scott reported over on his Parents4Skateparks site over the weekend:  after showing a skatepark in all three preferred conceptual designs throughout the process, Seattle Parks has pulled the plug on the Maple Leaf skatepark funding stating that, OOPS!, the location that was being looked at is under the jurisdiction of Seattle Public Utilities and they just found that out.  But if the skaters can come up with $120,000 to build a much smaller park on a different, less appealing part of the site, then they’re allowed to try.  Wow!

The Maple Leaf site was designated by the citywide skatepark plan as a future skatepark, and there is $5 Million dollars in the budget for re-designing the entire park.  Which makes this whole $120K grain of sand feel a little bit like politics as usual.

By all accounts, the Maple Leaf meetings felt a lot like past North Seattle skatepark meetings.  A bunch of misinformed, fearful NIMBY rhetoric about the evils of skateboarding, and people advocating for tons of competing uses that take up way more space, aren’t popular with teens, and require facilities that cost more to build and maintain that skateparks.  However, there were substantial numbers of skatepark supporters in the meetings as well, and those people are now feeling burnt by the process.  Sound familiar to anyone?

What’s even more alarming is this trend of Seattle Parks “discovering” things late in the process that screw the skaters, delay the projects, and in this case…apparently take the skatepark out of the budget.  (Which still makes no sense.  Is the issue the siting or the budget?!)  At Delridge, incorrect information regarding the water table and drainage has had that project in limbo for a year.  At Jefferson, between meetings 1 & 2, Seattle Parks discovered that a utility line dissected the site making one of the most popular proposed features, a snake run, completely impossible.  By that point the site had already been designated so the whole design was affected, because no sub-grade elements could be placed in over half the park’s footprint.

This is all happening in an environment where an incredible project overhead gets paid to city staffers, for among other things, multiple cycles of review process that is supposed to catch this stuff early and often.  If it’s not, then what are we paying for?  One thing I know is how we’re paying for it.  The city is also hiring big engineering firms to manage these projects, and Maple Leaf is being run by the same people that missed the Jefferson issue.  Coincidence, reality of doing business, or just inept laziness?

Regardless of the root cause (*cough* politics *cough*), it looks like the Maple Leaf skatespot will remain mythical unless something drastically changes.  But the precipitation appreciation advocates shouldn’t worry…I’m pretty sure that Parks knows who’s jurisdiction the “rain garden” is in.  (Whatever the hell that is…)

If you’re concerned and want to voice your opinion, email these people and tell them your butt hurts.

This is the sight that greeted the early risers this morning at Lower Woodland.

Sure, it probably wasn’t skaters, but it still sucks.  This is the kind of thing that made Crossroads lame to skate for a while before they fixed the concrete, and ultimately why they installed surveillance cameras.

Believe it or not, Seattle Parks is talking about putting them in.  Wonder why…

Personally, I’d rather skate through fire than get hit in the head by a BMX bike, but that’s just me.

It’s happening.  Here’s an update from Mark:

“The park is being built now.  Rough grades, fill, and subgrade compaction are complete.  Gravel underlayment has been placed and Mark Hubbard is onsite this week getting the forms laid out.  One of the folks from Grindline Japan is in town and is supposed to be lending a hand in the coming weeks.  Hopefully the dry weather holds, although we are out of the woods now that the site has passed geotech inspection and properly drains so as to not create ponding in the middle of the site.  Anyone who might have a giant tent to loan would be the biggest hero in the world – let me know if you hear of anything.

We’re looking at 7-9 weeks until the concrete work is complete.  It is nice to finally follow up on the pledges that were made so long ago.  James Klinedint’s tireless work to document the park for permit (TWICE!!!), Hubbard being there for us on and off and on again, Matt Fluegge’s cool hand, Department of Neighborhoods’ cash money, SODO Rotary, NUCOR’s rebar donation, Cadman’s super-discount, and the South Park neighborhoods’ unwavering patience.”

This is huge news and the realization of an amazing grass-roots community skatepark success story.

People like to hate on GSD.  Call me when Hallmark gets involved, until then, I’m inclined to think it’s a good thing when everyone comes together to celebrate skateboarding.

A nice event at SeaSk8 has been planned by the usual suspects.  Get out there and skate, then look around and try to figure out how you can make every day Go Skate Day.  You know it should be.