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Welcome to Groundswell NW |
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For more than two decades, Groundswell NW has accomplished major goals for community parks and habitat. Yes, Groundswell NW is about PROJECTS, lots of individual projects (neighborhood parks, tot lots, playfields, pocket parks, p-patches, streetscapes, traffic circles, greenbelts, salmon habitat and a lot more) that improve our quality of life. Projects don't just happen. These improvements to the places where we live, work and play come from PEOPLE in the community. People step forward with ideas and get together with neighbors and coworkers. They ask for help and resources from government and business. People work together to get projects done.
Good things happen when people PARTICIPATE in their communities. Whether you are just starting or have been involved in community activities a long time, there is a place for you in Groundswell NW.
Click here to view our 2010 Annual Report. |
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Crown Hill Park named Groundswell's May Park of the Month |
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The fences are coming down at Crown Hill Park in preparation for an opening celebration, 11am-1pm on May 19. Groundswell urges the entire community to check out this great new addition to the neighborhood.
One of four "Key Strategies" in the Crown Hill / Ballard Neighborhood Plan, the park is finally being completed some 14 years later. The purchase of the property was funded in large part by the 2000 ProParks Levy, and construction money came from the 2008 Parks and Green Spaces Levy. It fills a gap identified in Groundswell's 1996 Ballard / Crown Hill Open Space Inventory, and with the 13th Ave overpass across Holman Road, it provides access to park space for the arterial quadrant south of Holman and east of 15th.
Kudos to the Parks Open Space program for negotiating the purchase from the school district and the Crown Hill community for purchasing the adjacent school to preserve and build upon a community center that will work together with the park to serve the neighborhood for years to come. See this KOMO Ballard article and this MyBallard piece for photos and more info about the park. |
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Webster Park 15th Anniversary |
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Mark you calendars! Come help us celebrate the 15th anniversary of Webster park's grand opening, 1-4pm on June 9. This is where it all started for Groundswell, and we'll also toast our 20th year of incorporation and the restoration of Charlie Bigger's wonderful ceramic bas relief murals. Stay tuned for more details. |
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Groundswell NW Survey |
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Groundswell NW has been active in the northwest Seattle area for over 20 years. You may have joined us early on, or perhaps became involved through a specific project where Groundswell served as the fiscal sponsor. Using this short survey, we want to better understand your involvement with Groundswell NW and identify ways that we can better connect with you. Take it online or fill out the paper version at our April 4th annual meeting. All surveys submitted with contact information will be eligible for an April 15th prize drawing. Take the survey now at: https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/GroundswellNW2012Survey. |
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14th Ave is March Park of the Month |
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After a winter hiatus, Groundswell NW recognizes the 14th Ave NW Park Boulevard as our first Park of the Month for 2012.
The 14th Ave NW Park Boulevard project is a culmination of over 6 years of community building by the East Ballard Community Association and the neighbors and businesses of East Ballard. The current phase of the project proposes to convert two blocks of 14th Ave NW between NW 59th and 61st from existing roadway and parking median to community park green space, green infrastructure, and incorporate safety improvements for pedestrians, cyclists and vehicles. This proposal builds on a Visioning process begun in 2006 (14th Ave NW Visioning Project, Carlson Architects) which seeks context-appropriate safety improvements and green infrastructure and park‐space from Salmon Bay to NW 65th Street along 14th Ave NW.
Project Goals:
- Create a community park and greenspace
- Address environmental concerns by converting existing stormwater treatment from piped conveyance into on‐site biofiltration
- Improve safety in the corridor for all transit users.
The project has been awarded funding from the Parks and Green Spaces Levy, and a design team led by Mithun is working with the community to develop plans. Please see the notice below for the second community workshop and contacts for getting involved. |
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Final Call for Input on Sunset Hill - Shilshole Gateway |
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The median ends are planted and we're finishing our final report for our Neighborhood Matching Fund project. Help us determine priorities for potential future phases by filling out our feedback form and returning it to 6104 36th Ave NW or bring it to our May 16 community meeting. Download the feedback packet for background information and a description of the different concepts that have been developed for this important connection between Sunset Hill and Shilshole. The feedback form can be printed out and dropped off at the above address, preferably by May 16, or delivered to the community meeting. Or, if you're able to fill out the PDF electronically, or print it, fill it out and scan it, you can email it to dave.boyd1@comcast.net. If the links above don't work, email this address to get the form and packet.
Thanks for your valuable input!
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Read more...
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Thanks for Giving BIG to Groundswell! |
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Thanks to all who GaveBIG to Groundswell on May 2, helping us raise over $2000 to continue our mission of creating community parks and habitat in NW Seattle! The final tally with the "stretch" match from Seattle Foundation will be posted soon. Thanks also to the Seattle Foundation for organizing GiveBIG to galvanize community giving and help make this such a great place to live! |
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Sally Clark Featured at Annual Meeting |
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Thanks to Seattle City Council President Sally Clark for being our featured speaker at the Groundswell NW annual meeting on Wednesday, April 4. Over 40 came to learn about Seattle City Council's green space priorities for 2012 and how that will have an impact on NW Seattle, such as the development of greenways, rain gardens, and the "missing link" of the Burke-Gilman Trail.
In addition to a question and answer session with Council President Clark (joined by Kevin Carrabine of Friends of Burke Gilman Trail, Jennifer Litowsky of Ballard Greenways and Bob Spenser of Seattle Public Utilities RainWise program), Groundswell NW also presented our annual "Local Heroes" awards to Ray Pennock for his years of stewardship at Baker Park, Mark Dexter for seven years of managing our website, database and newsletter, and Lisa Hopkins for five years of volunteer bookkeeping. Representatives from current Groundswell NW-sponsored projects, including the 14th Ave Park Boulevard, Troll's Knoll and Sunset Hill - Shilshole Gateway, were also on hand to talk about their progress of their projects.
Read more in this Ballard News Tribune article. |
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Crown Hill Glen is November Park of the Month |
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More natural area than park, Crown Hill Glen is tucked away between 19th and 20th NW where these two avenues dead-end at NW 89th Street. First identified as an open space opportunity through Groundswell's Open Space Inventory in 1996, the site is a hidden gem, and testament to the ongoing stewardship of its neighbors.
The natural surroundings look as if they have always been there...but this is not the case at all. George and Theadora Plumis, who were married in 1931, bought these four lots and the adjoining house and lot to the south in 1940. This was the Plumis' first home and its then rural surroundings gave Mr. Plumis a chance to recreate a bit of the farming culture of their Greek homeland by raising chickens, goats, sheep, and fruit trees. During the war, it served as a Victory Garden. It was plowed by horse until well into the 50's!
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