Be Sure To Attend Public Meeting March 17th On Whether City Approves Adding More Portables To Laurelhurst Elementary School Playgrounds

The first meeting of the Laurelhurst Elementary School Design Departure Committee, open to the public, will be held on Tuesday, March 17, at 6:30pm in the School Cafeteria.

The public is encourage to attend and give their input during the public comment period. If residents cannot attend the meeting, written comments can be submitted to the address below.

"We hope to see a very big showing of concerned neighbors and school parents.  This meeting could be the only opportunity to voice opposition to a permanent increase of Laurelhurst School lot coverage zoning," Christi Nagle, heading up the "Parents for Playgrounds and Proper Planning," a group of concerned Laurelhurst Elementary parents said.

The Department of Neighborhoods (DON) sent out this information:

Meeting scheduled to discuss zoning change request for Laurelhurst Elementary School
Public is invited to attend and provide comments on March 17 

 

A public meeting is scheduled to discuss the Seattle School District’s request for a waiver from City zoning regulations regarding Laurelhurst Elementary School. The request is to modify current regulations to allow additional portable classrooms above the allowed lot coverage of 45%.

This meeting will include a presentation on the requested modification before the Development Standards Departure Advisory Committee, a group composed of neighbors and School District and City representatives that is formed to address School District requests for a zoning departure. After the presentation, the public is invited to make comments concerning the request.   

Following public testimony, the committee will make a recommendation to either grant outright, grant with conditions, or deny the requested zoning modifications; or it can decide to hold additional meetings. The final decision is made by the Seattle Department of Planning and Development.  

If the public cannot attend the meeting, written comments can be submitted to:

Steve Sheppard

Seattle Department of Neighborhoods

700 5th Avenue, Suite 1700

P.O. Box 94649

Seattle, WA 98124-4649

 

Here is the list of the Departure Committee members  who will advise the City on whether  up to four more portables should be added to the two already small playgrounds at Laurelhurst Elementary School.

The 30-90 day process will follow these steps as outlined on the DON website.

 

"Parents for Playgrounds and Proper Planning" is against higher lot coverage and the addition of more portables stating that:

• Studies confirm that quality outdoor play space is critical for healthy learning. Open space that now serves as basketball, soccer, kickball and football play areas would be eliminated.
• Families in the neighborhood benefit from the school’s recently upgraded playground (funded by neighbors -­‐ not SPS), whether it’s during school, evenings or weekends.
• Laurelhurst already has the smallest lot size of all 11 NE elementary schools, in addition to the highest building:lot ratio.
• More portables do not guarantee smaller class sizes.
• Portables are inferior to permanent classrooms due to their isolation from the school community (safety concerns, less collaboration, less access to facilities), lack of natural light and HVAC issues.
• Seattle Public School District needs to solve its growth issues without taking critical playground away from our kids and community.

 

The Laurelhurst Community Club is also not in favor of additional portables stating that the "district must find a permanent solution under the edict from the State Legislature. Taking away existing needed playground space was never the intent of city codes, nor the Seattle School District."

LCC also added:Traffic impacts must be considered-access from the very congested NE 45th St, local neighborhood parking for extra staff (there is no parking lot).

Loss of recreational space for existing children cannot be minimized or dismissed. Healthy bodies and healthy minds are linked. Obesity rates are climbing, and kids need more movement. Playground social skills are also a place where academic rankings are set aside for good fun, and away from electronics.  

The City had building and zoning codes for a reason, and any variance must be granted only if due process is followed to the letter of the law.

Seattle Public Schools released designs drawn up by Harthorne Hagen Architects, showing in detail two options for the placement of the portables.

 

First option:

• 2 double portables on the North playground - 28 x 64' foot taking up 1,792 square feet.
• One right along the north fence that runs along NE 47th Street
• The other just to the north of the current second grade portable along 47th Avenue NE.
• No portables on the south playground.
• The design shows the kickball area moved just next to the NE 47th Street portable and 2 four square courts moved alongside this area.
• These portables would eliminate a popular, heavily used large play area where currently a large number of students play organized games of  kickball, fliers, soccer and foursquare, as well as just general play by various students.

 

 Second option:

• 2 single portables on the North playground - 28x32' portables, each immediately to the north of the existing LASER portables, occupying 896 square feet each
• 1  double portable on the south playground - 28 x 64 ', occupying 1,792 square feet, along  the west fence bordering 46th Avenue NE and NE 45th Street.
• This south playground portable would take up the entire narrower southwest part of the playground, eliminating both heavily used basketball court and several four square courts.
• Thee design shows the new location for 3 - four square courts and 2 basketball courts in the southeast corner of the playground along NE 45th Street and 47th Avenue NE, currently where large number of kids play kickball and soccer.
• This proposal eliminates the area where a large number of children play "Fliers," soccer, kickball, foursquare  and soccer and have generally play.

 

The Laurelhurst Blog Staff continues to receive many emails from concerned neighbors living close to the school commenting that the additional portables:

• changes feel of residential neighborhood
• changes tone of neighborhood  with that type of density and  structure - metals shells with aluminum ramps  and windowless shacks
• gives residential, cozy neighborhood an industrial feel
• devalues neighborhood
• significant loss of valuable open space
• highly negative visual impact for neighbors living in close proximity to the school ,as well as, current and future students and general neighborhood having to look at the ugly structures
• loss of open space not only for students, but for community as a whole who use the playground seven days a week
• potential for prospective families to not choose the neighborhood to live in lowering school enrollment and ultimately school funding, as well as property values

For more information about the "Parents for Playgrounds and Proper Planning," contact Christi Nagle at christinagle@yahoo.com or call 529-­‐9296.
 

For information on the Departure process contact Steve Sheppard, with the Department of Neighborhoods, at Steve.sheppard@seattle.gov or go here.

 

For more detailed information about the issue go here.  And go here for information about the portable that was delivered in August then removed.

 

And here is a KING 5 news report on the issue.

 

(Photo: KING 5 News)