Oct 29, 2008

Miller Playfield resurfacing meeting: Nov 5th

(see Andrew's notes at end, and accompanying blog entries)

NEWS RELEASE
Gregory J. Nickels, Mayor
Timothy Gallagher, Superintendent
www.seattle.gov/parks

PARKS TO DISCUSS MILLER PLAYFIELD SURFACE RENOVATION WITH COMMUNITY

Seattle Parks and Recreation will host a public meeting to present and discuss concepts for replacing the existing field surface at Miller Playfield on Wednesday, Nov., 5, 2008 from 6:30 – 8 p.m. at the Miller Community Center.

The project is to upgrade the field surface by replacing the existing all-weather sand/silt surface with synthetic turf similar to the surface at Bob by Morris Playfield. Miller Community Center is located at 330 19th Ave. E.

Planning and design is funded in 2008 and Parks has requested construction funding in the 2009 budget. The community requested this project through the Community Capital Suggestion Process. The public is encouraged to attend and provide direction on the preferred synthetic turf field surface.

The field currently supports soccer and two softball fields, and Parks is considering a request to include field markings for both women’s and men’s lacrosse.

For more information, please contact Ted Holden, Project manager and Senior Landscape Architect, at 206-684-7021 or ted.holden@seattle.gov.
Link
*********Notes by Andrew Taylor**********

In Spring of 2006 I suggested our neighborhood request that Miller be resurfaced, gathered community input, and then submitted this Community Capital Suggestion (together with these pictures). That process (and lots of explanation) is documented on our old website.

At the time I made the suggestion contingent on two issues:

1) setting aside, as a renewable one year test, 5% of scheduled play time for unscheduled neighborhood use, with rules similar to those used at the Queen Anne Bowl.

2) Signage and team/player outreach to encourage parking in the lower Meany/Miller parking lot.

To that I would now add:

3) Install automatic locks on the outdoor bathrooms at Miller (to be locked at 10: 30 PM), to allow their use by players before leaving the area.


I will expand on those ideas in the next couple of posts (see below).

Please come to the Wednesday, November 5th meeting and make your views known. If you can't make it to the meeting you can:
  • E-mail your thoughts to Parks Department Project Manager Ted Holden. (ted.holden@seattle.gov)
  • E-mail them to me, Andrew Taylor (tayles@jps.net) and I'll present them at the meeting.
  • Add them as comments to this post, and I'll present them at the meeting.
Many thanks,

Andrew Taylor

2 comments:

Unknown said...

What about good ole grass? I can't help but think that the artificial turf craze is largely driven by the manufacturers of this material. Just a question, but how sustainable is an entire fields' worth of plastic?

Andrew Taylor said...

Real grass cannot withstand the level of play expected of city playfields. Players LOVE real grass (and world class soccer games require it) but it's so fragile that it can only be used sparingly: the field at Seattle U. (and those near the Burke-Gilman on the eastside) are closed most of the time.

We learn that ~ 15 years ago when we campaigned for real grass. The only real choices are plastic turf or the present dirt!

Also, in all honesty, the ballplayers' leagues are very well organized and would be difficult to oppose.

I agree that plastic grass has a limited lifetime and will need ongoing maintenance. Maintenance has NEVER been Parks' strong point. We'll all (neighbors and players) have to keep on them about that!