Email City Council To Support Surplus Electrical Substations Being Turned Into Park Space Rather Than New Development



Here is an article that was published in the most recent Laurelhurst Letter from the Laurelhurst Community Club about the Laurelhurst Substation, located at the base of the park at  4502 NE 41st Street, next to the tennis courts. It is one of many substations in the City, though not being considered for sale at this time, as others are in Seattle.

Scott Thompson, with Seattle City Light told us:

 

 

The Laurelhurst Substation is an operating facility that distributes power to the entire Laurelhurst neighborhood. We have no plans to stop using it for this purpose. 

Other small substations like this have been taken out of service in other parts of our service territory and some of those properties are being reviewed for possible sale now that we are no longer using them. That is not the case in Laurelhurst.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Here is the article in the Laurelhurst newsletter:

Surplus Electrical Substations to Open Space?

  

The City soon may consider how to divest of the 35 City Light surplus substation properties. Acquisition of the Laurelhurst electrical substation on NE 41st St. was part of the old Seattle Parks’ comprehensive plan and has been a goal of LCC for many years. It would provide a perfect addition to the Laurelhurst playfield and community center.

 

Below is an excerpt from LCC’s Dec. 9, 2002, board meeting minutes:

 

Laurelhurst Substation: Earlier this year, Stephen Hagen, Real Estate Services Manager with Seattle City Light, briefed the Northeast District Council about plans to surplus substations in northeast Seattle. The sites will be surplused due to changes in technology on the way electricity is delivered. Some of the sites, including the substation in Laurelhurst are slated to be transferred to the Parks Department. Others will be used for low-income housing or sold for other purposes.

Transfer of the substation in Laurelhurst to the Parks Department will allow expanded park area at the Playfield. Laurelhurst also has an interest in the substation located adjacent to the Sand Point Elementary School and has joined with other neighborhoods in supporting this location for the site of the proposed Sand Point Branch Library.

  

Cass Turnbull, founder of Plant Amnesty, has initiated a Call for Action, asking individuals to contact Seattle City Councilmembers and the Mayor to request that they consider new ways to save these surplus substation properties from being sold for development.

Sending an email is extremely easy to do by following the Take Action link on the

PlantAmnesty homepage.  PlantAmnesty and TreePAC support doing a feasibility study of creative options for their reuse as open space.

For more information contact cassturnbull@comcast.net.