Saturday Pickleball Open House

On Saturday from 11-5pm, there will be a pickleball open house at the new court, located just north of the tennis courts, in the tennis practice area, in the Park.

The information says:

There will be people there who are knowledgeable about the game to show others how to play, answer questions about equipment and rules and share excitement about this growing and accessible game.

The court opened a few weeks ago. Frank Chiappone and Wendy Kelley, Laurelhurst residents, oversaw the project initiated last year and had their plans approved by the City through the small improvements project. Frank said that neighbor input was not required during the approval process "with no change to the structure of the court or impact on how it’s currently being used as a practice court for tennis, soccer, lacrosse and others."

The total project cost $16,000. Chiappone donated $3,000 which was matched by his employer . The Seattle Metro Pickelball Association manages the fund raising.

A permanent net was installed to extend the lifespan of the court and protect the court surface, based on advice from the contractor. Original plans were for a net on wheels that could be used so that tennis players would still have full use of the court. Now tennis players can practice against the backboard wall on either side of the net.

Paddles and balls will be available for checkout when the Laurelhurst Community Center opens.  Exact time is unknown. Until that time there will be a few paddles and balls stored at the court to borrow if needed.

The half tennis court with backboard was converted over the spring and summer and is part of the Seattle Parks Department. The court was was resurfaced with an acrylic court resurfacer and then lines were painted using sport surface paint in two colors

For further information contact Wendy Kelly: wendygkelley@hotmail.com and Frank Chiappone: frankchip@hotmail.com.

Accessibility Improvements Planned For Laurelhurst Community Center And Park

The Seattle Park District is funding the design of accessibility improvements at Laurelhurst Community Center and Park.  

Karen with Seattle Parks and Recreation told the Laurelhurst Blog that the upcoming improvements inside the building will be updates in the kitchen and bathrooms to bring the building and site in compliance with accessible standards. Currently, there are elements in the kitchen and bathrooms and on site that do not meet current accessibility standards.

Improvements will also be in the Park which include:

• creating compliant accessible parking and drop off areas
• providing accessible routes from the parking to the community center, play area, and north ballfield
• new stairs and handrails in the southeast corner of the site
• handrails at the center east stair 

Karen said there is no work scheduled adjacent to the tennis court. 

Karen said that the project was initially identified by the Citywide Barrier Removal Schedule and was to be jointly funded by the Department of Early Learning (DEEL) and Seattle Parks and Recreation’s ADA Compliance Program. 

The DEEL provided funding in 2019 to design Pre-K classrooms at Laurelhurst and several other Community Center and "shelterhouse" sites.  In 2020 the DEEL made a decision to not move forward with construction in 2020-2021. And according to Karen, complete funding is not yet available to move forward.

Karen told the Laurelhurst Blog that the Community Center ADA Schematic Design is $109,500.00. The project is funded through design only.  Timeline, final budget and other information will be posted on the Seattle Parks website closer to construction. 

Design Construction documents are scheduled to be completed in late Spring 2021.  Once funding is available for construction a project sign will be put up and construction announcement will be made in a press release.  The earliest construction could be funded and start would be in 2022.

City Approves Pickle Ball Court On Existing Half Tennis Court Area At Laurelhurst Park

 

Plans are underway for converting the existing half tennis court with a backboard, adjacent to the four tennis courts at the Park.  The court is part of the Seattle Parks Department. 

Several neighbors, Frank Chiappone and Wendy Kelley ,have had their plans already approved by the City through the small improvements project.  Frank said that neighbor input was not required during the approval process "with no change to the structure of the court or impact on how it’s currently being used as a practice court for tennis, soccer, lacrosse and others." 

The group has been working on this proposal for the past year. Several pickball players use the court from time to time bringing their own portable nets. 

Frank added:

 All we’re doing is adding a sport court surface and pickleball lines to the existing concrete which will actually enhance the space for tennis players without limiting their ability to use the wall or the court for practice. As for the net, it has wheels that are clearly visible at the base and can easily be moved by one person, so while we certainly can put signs up to inform folks the net can be rolled away, it will be fairly self-evident. We use these same nets on tennis/pickleball courts around the city and people simply move them on and off the court as needed.

The group said that currently the cost is $12,100 which includes court resurfacing, painting lines and purchasing semi-permanent nets. 

In addition, $4,000 will be raised to promote pickleball in other areas.  Currently they are considering providing funding for semi-permanent nets for courts in Rainer Valley.  

So the total cost required for the project is $16,000.  Chiappone is donating $3,000 which will be matched by his employer .  The Seattle Metro Pickelball Association will manage the fund raising effort.  Currently the closest courts are in Mapleleaf and Greenlake.  

Frank told the Laurelhurst Blog that the court is the perfect size for a pickleball court and he provided these specifics:

• We have been working directly with Seattle Parks on this project and met with the Laurelhurst Community Club which placed information in a recent newsletter. No other broader outreach has been done to gather input/feedback
• We will use a heavy-duty rolling pickleball net that can be pushed to the side when not in use for pickleball. Though even when it is in place it will not prohibit anyone from still using the wall for tennis, soccer, lacrosse, etc. 
• The current lines are for pickleball, but what’s currently being used is temporary parking tape that does not hold up well against rain and bad weather and is in constant need of repair.
• The plan is to resurface the existing concrete with an acrylic court resurfacer and then paint a single pickleball court oriented north and south using sport surface paint in two colors (see artist rendition below)
• The concrete wall that runs along the east side of the court will not be replaced.

The public can make a tax-deductible donation here. When $12,500 is reached, construction will begin.  

For further information contact Wendy Kelly: wendygkelley@hotmail.com and Frank Chiappone: frankchip@hotmail.com.

Interesting History of Water Fountains At Park

 

A neighbor would like to share that one of the drinking fountains in the park is part of over one hundred public artworks in parks and facilities across the City.  


The drinking fountain, named "Seattle Scatter Piece" is shaped like a boat and made of concrete and marble (rock). 

A Public Art website says about the piece:

Artist Mark Lere's uniquely sited sculptural vessel thematically connects four Seattle neighborhoods through the repetition and transformation of an iconic image of a boat placed on public property within each neighborhood: Beacon Hill Reservoir, a viewpoint at Interbay, Laurelhurst and Bitter Lake.  

These reiterations of the boat form, created from concrete, are designed to be united figuratively by the viewer's voyage from site to site. This journey constructs a full picture of the boat.  Lere's sculpture began as a simple line drawing of a boat overlaid on a map of Seattle.

The Seattle City website says:

Lere’s sculpture began as a simple line drawing of a boat overlaid on a map of Seattle; the corners locate the sites of the artworks. Each of the artworks sites incorporate a part of the boat and other elements. The project was begun in 1981 and completed in 2005.   

Lere was chosen through an invitational competition to select a publicly owned site for a project proposal.  Due to the complexity of his proposal and the number of approvals required by the city, the project took many years to achieve by the time it was completed.

Click through the interactive map to take a virtual tour of the public artwork.  Go here for more information.

Electrical Substation Work At Park Ongoing

 

Seattle Public Utilities is currently doing work at the former electrical substation at the south end of Laurelhurst Park near the tennis courts at 4502 NE 41st Street,.

In September 2019 SPU salvaged the old Laurelhurst Substation equipment which was decommissioned.

Seattle City Light told the Laurelhurst Blog Staff, at the time, that the equipment was no longer needed, but the substation property would remain with one high voltage switch still in service.

SPU said that the benefits of decommissioning the equipment has given the customers better system reliability by moving from the phasing out 4,000 volt system to the current 26,000 volt distribution system. Another benefit is removing the hazard of having thousands of gallons of dielectric oil removed from the existing transformers on-site. All of the aging equipment was also removed.

In May 2014, LCC wrote in their Laurelhurst Letter that neighbors should consider emailing City Council to support surplus Electrical Substations being turned into Park space rather than a new development. 

Scott Thompson, with Seattle City Light, told the Laurelhurst Blog at the time that "other small substations like Laurelhurst 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."

Seattle City Light completed the upgrade of power lines from 4,000 to 26,000 Volts to the south portion of Laurelhurst in January of 2011. The boundaries for the upgrade were NE 38th Street on the north, NE 33rd Street on the south, East Laurelhurst Drive NE on the east and 43rd Avenue NE on the west. Old cable was removed and replaced with newer, more reliable cables.


The SPU website says about the current project:

Project Details

Electrical Improvements at Laurelhurst Substation

---

Posting Date: 1/12/2021                

Contact: Rose Peterson - Electrical Service Representative

Phone: (206) 684-4986

---

Project Overview

Seattle City Light crews will be working inside the Laurelhurst Substation to remove aging equipment and install new electrical conduit.

Construction Work Area

Project Benefits

This work is needed to upgrade the electrical infrastructure in the Laurelhurst neighborhood.

Project Impacts

• Crews will be working inside the substation to remove an old transformer concrete pad and other associated equipment. Crews will also trench and install new electrical conduit.
• An excavator will be used during construction, which may produce some loud noises.
• Maintenance power outages are not planned during this work.
• Customers can expect some parking, sidewalk and traffic restrictions along NE 41st Street.

---

SCHEDULE

Construction Start: mid-January 2021

Duration: Up to two months

Daily Work Schedule: Mon-Fri: 9 a.m.-3 p.m., Sat: 9 a.m.-5 p.m.

Today Laurelhurst (LCC) Trustee Meeting

 

Tonight at 6:30pm, the Laurelhurst Community Club (LCC) is holding its monthly Board meeting, open to all neighbors, via Zoom.

Here is the agenda:

6:30  Welcome and Administration

• Calls/Concerns from neighbors
• Treasurer's Report
• November minutes
• LEAP update
• Treasurer's Report

6:50  Committee Reports

• Dues/Maiing dues/format
• Passenger only service Lake Washington and Union Bay
• Crime/Security Patrol/SPD updatesCommunity outreach-sock drive, historic article/ welcome letter
• Community outreach-sock drive/crime wrap up
• Welcome letter final draft
• Issues at the Laurelhurst Playfield
• Hospital Phase 3 update
• Talaris update
• Tree issues Seattle governance
• City Hall update/issues

8:00 Adjourn

Cooper's Hawk Nest in Laurelhurst Park

A large Cooper’s hawk nest has been spotted in a maple tree in the northwest corner of  Laurelhurst Park.

Larry Hubbell, a long-time local photographer and birder, who publishes regularly on his Union Bay Watch Blog told the Laurelhurst Blog Staff:

Congratulations on Cooper’s Hawks in your neighborhood! Cooper’s Hawks are one of my favorite birds. I do love taking photos of them. 

However, they tend to hunt small birds, rats and squirrels. Many times they hunt close to the ground or in dense undergrowth. While they are incubating eggs the male is challenged to catch twice as much food as normal - since he must supply the female her food as well. 

After hatching he initially supplies food for the female, the young and himself. I have observed a nest a few years ago with four young Cooper’s Hawks. That male was essentially on a never ending hunt for food. Having very many humans near enough to observe their nest site would make the hunting even more difficult. 

For that reason, I will either: 1) Not mention the nesting location or 2) Not publish a post about Cooper’s Hawks, at a specific site, until after the young have fledged. 

In addition, during the Spring I am literally running nest to nest - of all different types of birds. Since there is a nesting pair of Cooper’s Hawks much closer to my home, this Spring I will focus on them, which will save time and allow me to take a greater variety of photos. 

I certainly hope you enjoy watching your Laurelhurst Coops and that all their young are fed successfully, fledge and learn to hunt before winter! My behavior does vary depending on the species. For example, Bald Eagles and Great Blue Herons have high enough nests and they range far and wide when hunting so human observation does not appear to bother them in the least.

Fire Pit Garbage Can Set On Fire

On April 10th, it was reported that the the garbage can near the firepit was set on fire and the metal lid, also burned was thrown down the hill.

A neighbor said that he and other neighbors have done a lot over several decades and even recently to save the fire pit, and he said it's such a shame that most likely students damaged public property with no remorse.

Cara, Laurelhurst Community Center Recreation Coordinator, told the Laurelhurst Blog:

I have not heard about anyone being apprehended regarding the fire pit issue.  I know our grounds crew cleaned up the mess and got it all back in shape.  They monitor and work in the park daily as well as open/close and clean outdoor restrooms.  We do not have staff working full time from the building, just checking in periodically to check on things and gather any items we may need to work from home. 

A neighbor told the Laurelhurst Blog staff:

I was at the park the morning after when the garbage can was in the fire pit.  The grounds were clean and I simply picked the garbage can up and put the lid on it and put it back.  

There was no mess and the Parks Department did nothing.  They are giving themselves too much credit taking responsibility for cleaning it up.  

Interesting History Of Water Fountains At The Park

Seattle Parks and Recreation has begun their routine winter preparation of parks in Seattle. This includes shutting off drinking fountains to prevent pipes from freezing, including the ones at the Laurelhurst Park.

The bathrooms outside of the Community Center will remain open throughout winter.  

Of interesting note, one of the drinking fountains in the park is part of over one hundred public artworks in parks and facilities across the City.  


The drinking fountain, named "Seattle Scatter Piece" is shaped like a boat and made of concrete and marble (rock). 

A Public Art website says about the piece:

Artist Mark Lere's uniquely sited sculptural vessel thematically connects four Seattle neighborhoods through the repetition and transformation of an iconic image of a boat placed on public property within each neighborhood: Beacon Hill Reservoir, a viewpoint at Interbay, Laurelhurst and Bitter Lake.  

These reiterations of the boat form, created from concrete, are designed to be united figuratively by the viewer's voyage from site to site. This journey constructs a full picture of the boat.  Lere's sculpture began as a simple line drawing of a boat overlaid on a map of Seattle.

The Seattle City website says:

Lere’s sculpture began as a simple line drawing of a boat overlaid on a map of Seattle; the corners locate the sites of the artworks. Each of the artworks sites incorporate a part of the boat and other elements. The project was begun in 1981 and completed in 2005.   

Lere was chosen through an invitational competition to select a publicly owned site for a project proposal.  Due to the complexity of his proposal and the number of approvals required by the city, the project took many years to achieve by the time it was completed.

Click through the interactive map to take a virtual tour of the public artwork.  Go here for more information.

Is This Bike Yours Near The Park?

A Laurelhurst Blog reader reported that this bike has been at the 48th Avenue NE entrance to the Park for the last several days.

Laurelhurst Substation, Near Tennis Courts, Decommissioned

Seattle City Light has completed work at the Laurelhurst Substation, located south of the tennis courts in the Park.

The project was to salvage the old Laurelhurst Substation equipment which has been decommissioned.

Seattle City Light told the Laurelhurst Blog Staff that the equipment is no longer needed, but the substation property will remain with one high voltage switch still in service.

The benefits of decommissioning the equipment has given the customers better system reliability by moving from the phasing out 4,000 volt system to the current 26,000 volt distribution system, Seattle City Light said. 

Another benefit is removing the hazard of having thousands of gallons of dielectric oil removed from the existing transformers on-site. All of the aging equipment was also removed.

Seattle City Light completed the upgrade of power lines from 4,000 to 26,000 Volts to the south portion of Laurelhurst in January of 2011. The boundaries for the upgrade were NE 38th Street on the north, NE 33rd Street on the south, East Laurelhurst Drive NE on the east and 43rd Avenue NE on the west. Old cable was removed and replaced with newer, more reliable cables.

Wednesday Children's Singer At The Park

The Summer Series at the Laurelhurst Park continues on Wednesday at 11am with Eric Ode.

The information says:

Eric Ode is a national award-winning children's singer/songwriter, a widely published author and poet, and an engaging entertainer.   

His upbeat, high-participation programs are bubbling over with fun, interactive music and include stories, skits, poetry, props and puppets.

The show is $5 per family for up to 4 people, and $2 for each additional person. The show will be outdoors weather permitting, so something to sit on is encouraged.


(photo courtesy of Community Center)

Saturday Annual Spring Egg Hunt

The annual Spring Egg Hunt is coming up on Saturday starting at 10am sharp at the Laurelhurst park for ages 12 and under. 

Over 4,000 plastic eggs stuffed with toys, stickers and candy will be scattered, as well as treats. Some eggs will have a special ticket to win a prize basket or other surprise. Kids are divided by age group. Following the event there will be field games.

The information says:

Hop on over for a family fun spring tradition in the Laurelhurst neighborhood! Be sure to bring your basket to hunt for eggs and special prizes.   

Help support our can food drive to assist our local food bank and our bake sale (cash or check only) to support the community center programs.  

Plan to arrive no later than 9:45 a.m.

Snowmen Visit The Park

Check out the variety of snowmen at the park:

Big Branches Fall In The Park

The Laurelhurst Blog received these photos taken after the recent heavy wind. Several very large branches fell onto the path on the north end, and others on the west side of the park.


Neighbors reported large branches falling in their yards during the powerful wind storm.

Strong wind gusts, approaching 60 mph in some areas, toppled trees and took down power lines last Sunday morning. The National Weather Service reported that winds peaked in most areas by 4:20am.

Interactive Map of Public Art in Seattle Parks, Including Laurelhurst Piece

Seattle Parks and Recreation has in its stewardship over one hundred public artworks in parks and facilities across Seattle, including one at Laurelhurst Park called "Seattle Scatter Piece." The piece is a drinking fountain sculpture, shaped like a boat and made of concrete and marble (rock). 

A Public Art website says about the piece:

Artist Mark Lere's uniquely sited sculptural vessel thematically connects four Seattle neighborhoods through the repetition and transformation of an iconic image of a boat placed on public property within each neighborhood: Beacon Hill Reservoir, a viewpoint at Interbay, Laurelhurst and Bitter Lake.  

These reiterations of the boat form, created from concrete, are designed to be united figuratively by the viewer's voyage from site to site. This journey constructs a full picture of the boat.  Lere's sculpture began as a simple line drawing of a boat overlaid on a map of Seattle.

The Seattle City website says:

Lere’s sculpture began as a simple line drawing of a boat overlaid on a map of Seattle; the corners locate the sites of the artworks. Each of the artworks sites incorporate a part of the boat and other elements. The project was begun in 1981 and completed in 2005.   

Lere was chosen through an invitational competition to select a publicly owned site for a project proposal.  Due to the complexity of his proposal and the number of approvals required by the city, the project took many years to achieve by the time it was completed.

Click through the interactive map to take a virtual tour of the public artwork.  Go here for more information.

Rules For Using The Firepit At The Park

The Laurelhurst Blog has received several reports of the firepit left smoldering after use as well as lots of garbage left in and around the firepit. 

Last week a neighbor called the Fire Department to report a small flame and smoke in the unattended firepit in the late morning on a very hot, breezy day. 

The Seattle Municipal Code 18.12.270 - Fires says:  

It is unlawful (a) to ignite or maintain any fire or to participate in igniting, maintaining or using any fire within any park except in a designated stove or fire ring or (b) to ignite in any stove or fire ring any household rubbish or other material banned from outdoor burning by air pollution control regulations, or (c) to ignite or maintain a fire in any fire ring during any stage on an air pollution episode declared by the Puget Sound Air Pollution Control Agency. All fires within parks are prohibited between the hours of eleven p.m. (11:00 p.m.) and six a.m. (6:00 a.m.).

The Seattle Parks and Recreation website says:

Light fires only in designated fire pits. Burn only clean firewood like bare, clean dry cordwood (chemically treated wood like lumber releases a strong-smelling, dirty smoke into the air and burning pallets can leave nails and debris on the beach) Douse your fire completely with water before leaving. Dispose of trash and ashes in the containers provided for each.  Be considerate of others – no amplified music Alcohol is not permitted in Seattle parks. 

The Park closes at 10pm daily and everyone is required to leave at that time.  Residents are enouraged to call 911 to report disturbances, especially those after 10pm in the Park.

Go here for more information about burn bans and safety tips for use of firepits.

Also a neighbor noticed the sign is incorrectly spelled. Who can find the misspelling?