Seattle Park District’s Board of Park Commissioners will hold a public hearing on Seattle Parks and Recreation’s proposed Community Center Strategic Plan at 6:30 p.m. on Oct. 13 at Van Asselt Community Center, 2820 S. Myrtle St. While that’s far from our neighborhood, this strategic plan will impact community centers throughout the city, including Green Lake, Loyal Heights and Ballard.
The Community Center Strategic Plan will lay the foundation for both operational and facility decision-making for the community center system in the future. The 2014 Parks Legacy Plan established two general goals for community centers:
- Ensure community centers are the focal points in our neighborhoods and serve as places where people can connect, foster relationships, build community, and enhance their health and well-being by offering programs, activities, and events to Seattle’s changing population.
- Ensure community centers are physically and emotionally safe and welcoming places for individual enrichment and community growth.
The Board of Park Commissioners will receive oral and written testimony, and will make a recommendation to the Parks and Recreation Superintendent based on the feedback they receive from the public. Those who want to give input on the plan but are not able to come to the public hearing can send written comments, which bear equal weight to oral testimony. Please email comments to [email protected].
Approved by voters in 2014, the Seattle Park District provides more than $47 million a year in long-term funding for Seattle Parks and Recreation including maintenance of parklands and facilities, operation of community centers and recreation programs, and development of new neighborhood parks on previously acquired sites. 2016 is the first full year of implementation and there is work going on in every corner of the city. This year includes funding to tackle the $267-million major maintenance backlog, and will fund the improvement and rehabilitation of community centers; preservation of urban forests; major maintenance at the Aquarium and Zoo; day-to-day maintenance of parks and facilities; more recreation opportunities for people from underserved communities, programs for young people, people with disabilities, and older adults; development of new parks; and acquisition of new park land.