By wedgwoodparks, on August 22nd, 2012
UPDATE 2: Feet First, a phenomenal Seattle-based nonprofit working to improve walkability of neighborhoods across Washington State, endorsed the WCC’s proposed Inverness Ravine Park proposal. If you haven’t already, check out their amazing walking map of NE Seattle. You’ll notice there are very few walkable routes between the Wedgwood and Inverness neighborhoods.
UPDATE 1: On Thursday, September 6th, the Northeast District Council, which represents 16 neighborhood community organizations in NE Seattle, endorsed the WCC’s proposed Inverness Ravine Park proposal.
Creek and dense vegetation within Inverness Ravine.
As part of the Parks and Green Spaces Levy Opportunity Fund, Seattle Parks will be spending $8 million in 2012/13 on park acquisition and/or development projects that are nominated by community groups. Wedgwood’s adopted Vision Plan calls for development of park space in a natural settings and for creek-side trails, so the WCC is taking this opportunity to propose a trail in Inverness Ravine Park (see our earlier post here). Seattle Parks and Seattle Department of Transportation both own land in the ravine, making it a prime candidate for a trail project. The ravine is on Critical Area lists for steep terrain and landslides, which precludes most kinds of development, but permits trails.
A potential trail alignment has been identified that features four access points and approximately 2,000 feet of trail (see diagram below). Based on this conceptual trail alignment, the WCC submitted a preliminary proposal to Parks in June. We have now been asked to submit a more detailed proposal in September. Parks will take WCC’s detailed proposal, along with others, develop a short-list of candidate projects, and ask those teams to present to a selection committee in early 2013. At that point funds will be awarded to the selected projects and design and construction will commence.
Preliminary trail alignment with 4 access points.
The WCC is competing with over 100 other projects for funding, but are hopeful that our trail project proposes the right combination of opportunities for exercise, education, and restoration to make it a winner. Feedback from our community has been overwhelmingly positive. Some concerns raised though include impacts to habitat, impacts to privacy, and safety. These concerns will need to be addressed should we advance to the design stage of the process. We will be presenting this trail proposal to the Northeast District Council in the coming weeks and are coordinating with the Inverness Community Council as well.
If you have any questions about the proposal, please email » Dave Grant, Chair of the Wedgwood Parks Committee.
By Johnson, on June 10th, 2011
NE Seattle has 1 of Seattle’s 4 salmon-bearing streams flowing through it, Thornton Creek. The stream, who’s headwaters is the Ronald Bog in Shoreline at N 175th Street, flows through a highly modified system that had been increasingly encroached upon by construction of I-5 and Seattle’s northward expansion, as it makes its way to its confluence with Lake Washington at Matthews Beach. However, its ever-encroached upon fate has been changing for Thornton Creek in the relatively recent. Many local groups (e.g,. Thornton Creek Alliance), regulatory agencies, and City departments have begun efforts to restore the stream and its hydrograph, improve water quality, and rehabilitate the riparian and in-stream habitat for salmon.
Recently, there has been lots of positive news for those who love Thornton Creek.
- Friends of Thornton Creek Park #1 Natural Area received a Neighborhood Matching Fund (NMF) Small & Simple grant to design a new park for the city-owned natural area between 10th and 15th Ave NE and north of 130th Street. The planning process is still ongoing and there’s time for folks to get involved and help out. (Note, the WCC has applied for a similar grant to design a park at the Morningside Substation site.)
- Three poorly named park areas (similar to Thornton Creek Park #1 above) have been aptly renamed to reflect the site’s natural features. These include Kingfisher Natural Area, Beaver Pond Natural Area, and LaVilla Meadows Natural Area on Thornton Creek. A lot can be said in a name and these newly named ‘natural areas’ can say a lot more than their predecessors.
- Seattle Public Utilities is holding a public meeting on Wednesday, June 15th, on a flood-control and sediment storage project they are proposing near 35th Ave NE near the Meadowbrook Community Center. The meeting will be from 6:30 to 8:30, at the Nathan Hale High School “commons” at 10750 30th Ave. N.E.
- The GreenSeattle Partnership has done a phenomenal job over the past couple years empowering folks to restore our urban forests and riparian corridors. From battling the dreaded English Ivy (if you’re still planting this, please stop) and other noxious and nuisance weeds, to planting thousands of new trees and shrubs to restore the understory of our urban forests, GreenSeattle has steadily chipping away at its goal to restore 2,500 acres of urban forest. This includes restoring city-owned properties along Thornton Creek! (not to mention the Burke-Gilman Trail and Magnuson Park). Want to get involved and help out GreenSeattle? There’s always an event that they need help on (they’re fun too). Or, you can get super involved and become a Forest Steward, and maybe steward our own urban forested ravines along Maple Creek in NE Wedgwood, which are tributaries to Thornton Creek.
- Although less recent, a developer and the City came to an agreement on a new residential development near Northgate, Thornton Place, after years of squabbling back and forth. While the condo market has taken a hit since the development was first built, Thornton Place is receiving its well-deserved credit for its creativity and ingenuity to increase urban density while restoring our natural systems.
While these projects should improve the habitat and natural conditions for the Thornton Creek system, the news isn’t all good. Small, invasive New Zealand mud snails, which can indeed do significant damage, have recently been found near the mouth of the creek.
There’s lots of work still needed to restore this beautiful urban stream. Much positive work is ongoing, although you can help in many different ways by being mindful of what you put on your yard or wash down the street’s storm drain. You can also become active in local stewardship groups like the Thornton Creek Alliance, Friends of Thornton Creek Park #1, or GreenSeattle.
By Johnson, on April 7th, 2002
Pacific Northwest magazine features habitat restoration in Wedgwood’s Maple Creek ravine. See Behind the Little House. (The article identifies the neighborhood as Maple Leaf, but it’s really Wedgwood!)
