At its January meeting, the Wallingford Community Council heard from both the City and Friends of Gas Works Park. This year will see significant activity in two areas: Kite Hill and the playground.
David Graves, the Senior City Planner for Gas Works reported the following.
Gas Works Park Play Area renovation – The 2008 Parks and Greenspace levy included money to make improvements to the existing play area at Gas Works Park. The remnants of the play area are located on the south side of the play barn – the large covered structure with the multi-colored equipment. We will be kicking off the design process with our first public meeting on Tuesday, March 11. The meeting will be held at the Good Shepherd Center (4649 Sunnyside Ave N), Room 202, from 6:30 – 8pm. All are welcome!
Kite Hill soil cover – Starting this fall, work will be undertaken to place a new soil cover on Kite Hill. This was the only area of the park that did not receive a new soil cover in either 2000, 2005 or 2009. This work is a precursor to the sediment clean-up which could commence as early as 2017. Access to Kite Hill will be prohibited from September 2014 to May 2015 to allow the new grass cover to become established. More details will be coming later this spring.
Friends of Gas Works Park is an organization dedicated to preserving the park’s vision and moving it toward completion as envisioned in the original Master Plan. With FGWP at the WCC meeting was Richard Haag, the original landscape designer of the park. They presented their vision for the renovation, expansion and design of the Children’s Play Area. A summary of that vision with drawings is attached here: GWP_PlayAreaPoster
A project of this size concerning an area so important to not only the community but the region, involves differing priorities, concerns, ideas and visions of the future. That appears to be the case with proposals for the Children’s Play Area. As this project moves forward, the community will have opportunities to become informed and involved. WCC urges everyone to take advantage of those opportunities.
(Photo by Yogesh Mhatre)
Thanks for keeping us so well informed! Gas Works Park is truly a wonderful regional resource that we who live nearby sometimes just take for granted. Here’s hoping some of these improvements actually open up access to the water, perhaps via Waterway 20 now occupied by the Harbor Patrol.