I recently completed two months of intense work on a proposal to renew a parks levy on this fall's ballot. As just one member of a 28 person committee, I worked to make this a measure to continue to build on our green legacy. There were many compromises, as there should be, and the measure may not be everything I would have wanted, but it is a strong package that continues to fund many critical projects throughout the City. You can read more about this at the City Council website: http://www.seattle.gov/council/issues/parks_levy.htm. 

The Council will hold one more public hearing on the levy package on Wednesday, July 16, 5:30 p.m. in Council Chambers. If you have comments or ideas for the proposed levy that you would like to share with the Council as it reviews the Advisory Committee’s recommendations, please attend the hearing or send them to parksandgreenspaceslevy@seattle.gov.

In Ballard and environs, the proposal includes $1.2 million to develop the Crown Hill Park, replacing and adding to funds from the ProParks measure that will be redirected to permanently preserve the land as public open space, $800,000 to develop the new park on the 7000 block of 9th Ave NW in Whittier Heights, $600,000 for Kiwanis Ravine and $500,000 to upgrade the Golden Gardens playground. The proposal also includes $30 million for open space acquisition in fast-growing and underserved areas like the Ballard Urban Village and , and $15 million in Opportunity Funds that could support many of the worthy projects that didn't make the final cut, continuing and building on the ProParks tradition that helped Ballard Corners and many other community-based projects citywide.

Groundswell NW encourages all to look at the many good things in the proposed levy package and urge City Council to continue funding our “green infrastructure” by putting this measure on the ballot this fall. See the support letter from the Green Legacy Coalition.

From the City Council website:

Now is a critical time to contact City Council members and the Mayor to express your support of a Parks & Green Spaces Levy on the 2008 ballot.

Groundswell NW has helped form a Green Legacy Coalition along with over twenty five groups who support renewing a parks levy to invest in Seattle's "green infrastructure". Our green infrastructure is a network of connected green spaces including parks, greenways, and streetscapes that enhance ecological function, protect Puget Sound water quality, and give Seattle's residents places to gather and play. In Ballard, such a levy could support the acquisition and development of open space at Crown Hill and Webster schools, implementation of the 14th Ave NW vision for creating sorely needed useable open space for East Ballard, and converting surplussed City Light substations to solar power generating community spaces.

If we pass up this opportunity, we will miss the chance to invest in essential amenities that make Seattle a liveable city, especially as the city grows.

To see a list of groups on the Green Legacy Coalition click here.

ProParks Levy Fact Sheet

• The funding from the ProParks Levy ($198.2 million dollars, which have been used to leverage an additional 70.7 million dollars in parks funding) will end in 2008.
• The City of Seattle neighborhoods and its citizens have benefited by the numerous improvement projects and acquisitions the Seattle ProParks Levy has generated. Including Fremont Peak Park, Bradner Gardens, and properties abutting Thorton Creek.
• Public and private initiatives -- including the Neighborhood Plans, Open Space Seattle 2100 Charrette, the Bicycle Master Plan, Restore Our Waters, the upcoming Pedestrian Master Plan, Seattle Urban Forest Stakeholders Manifesto, Bands of Green etc., have all identified significant unfunded needs within our green infrastructure network.
• With renewed national and regional investments in cities as a whole, and low-impact, non-polluting and community-focused programs in particular, we recognize that having dedicated municipal funding mechanisms in place will allow the City of Seattle to capitalize on those opportunities to leverage even more funding opportunities in future without drawing too heavily on the city's general funds budget.

Example of a letter you can write:

Dear Mayor and Councilmembers:

I am writing today to ask you to support putting a Parks & Green Spaces Levy on the ballot in November 2008. I am deeply concerned about losing the investments in our green infrastructure that will occur if we do not find a funding source to replace the ProParks levy funding.

Sincerely,