Do you want lights at Greenlake? Then show up to this meeting.
Do you want lights at the Greenlake skatepark?
The best chance of making this a reality is to attend a meeting next Tuesday, September 4 at the Greenlake Branch Library at 6:30pm.
This Seattle Parks sponsored meeting is to discuss the adjacent funded ball field and tennis court lighting upgrades.  These upgrades do not include or provide funding for the skatepark.  However, due to the direct adjacency of these upgrades, existing infrastructure, and organized skatepark user group, this is a great meeting to attend and advocate (politely since this is not even a skatepark meeting) on behalf of lights for the skatepark.  In the past, there has been opposition to anything related to the skatepark by a small group of nearby residents so Seattle Parks staff need to hear overwhelming support for future lighting improvements if it will ever happen.  Please help us provide this overwhelming support by attending the meeting and making some simple statements on behalf of lighting upgrades.  A broader demographic of support will be more effective so parents and kids are urged to speak.  Space may be limited for public comment so arrive early (meeting starts at 6:30pm) and sign up for comments.
Below are some potentially useful points to make during your public comment that would result from lighting the skatepark:
·        Synergy with surrounding lighted sports facilities (softball and soccer fields have lights closer to homes so skatepark lighting would be masked by these lighting sources)
·        Facilitate year-round skatepark use
·        Power is already installed on site
·        Other skatepark projects and/or organized funding campaigns may fund it
·        An advocacy group already exists
·        Provide increased support for skate camps and programming
·        Graffiti deterrence
·        It’s the equitable thing to do
·        Estimated 20,000 skatepark users currently only have one skatepark available with lighting
·        Increased use will promote greater community building and self policing of the skatepark
·        Upgraded light poles for ball field could be designed to support additional lighting banks for skatepark
Hope to see you (and your kids!) at the meeting.
Ryan Barth
Chairperson, Seattle Parks and Recreation Skate Park Advisory Committee
