Greetings! In December I took the helm as the new Superintendent of Seattle Parks and Recreation. As you may have heard, I came to Seattle by way of the Pacific Crest Trail, which is the 2,650 mile hiking trail that stretches from Mexico to Canada. When I started my epic journey last May, I had no idea that it would take me to Seattle permanently. At one point last summer, I came off the trail, pulled my suit out of a box at the post office, and went to a job interview. By the time I had reached the Cascade Mountains in Washington, I had been offered my dream job of Superintendent of Seattle Parks and Recreation. Although I'm not still walking the Pacific Crest Trail every day, I really haven't stopped hiking. I'm now walking the green trails of Seattle Parks and Recreation.

The past year was one of transition for Seattle Parks and Recreation which saw a new superintendent, a new deputy superintendent (Christopher Williams - the former director of Operations for Parks), and an almost completely new Board of Park Commissioners. We remain committed to maintaining safe and welcoming environments, offering programs that are relevant to your lives - especially as they relate to health and fitness - and playing a leadership role in reducing our impact on global climate change.

One of my most important work priorities is to develop - with you - a Strategic Action Plan that will guide our decision making over the next five years. We've published a draft plan and we are holding our second round of public meetings between now and May 7 to help us revise and finalize the plan. Please take a few minutes to review the plan and let us know what you think.

Over the past few months, I've become acquainted with Seattle's neighborhoods, businesses, communities and especially its parks. After escaping the smog and traffic of Los Angeles, it's easy to appreciate pristine and beautiful Seattle. By going to a lot of community and neighborhood meetings, I've had the opportunity to meet many of you already. Hearing from you is a priority for me, so please e-mail me at timothy.gallagher@seattle.gov if you have questions or ideas, and if you see me on the trail, please stop and say hello.

Sincerely,
Tim Gallagher

Strategic Action Plan

We are in the process of developing a Strategic Action Plan for Seattle Parks and Recreation. You can find the draft plan online that we completed in late March. Go ahead, click on that link and check out this important plan. You just might find that you want to put in your two cents, either at a public meeting or by online comment, before it becomes "the word." This document represents the collaborative efforts of Seattle residents, Parks and Recreation staff, the Mayor's Office, and Parks partners to create a blueprint that will guide us over the next five years. As future decisions come before us, we will refer to this plan to help us act as an efficient steward of your land and buildings and a provider of useful, high quality services.

The plan comes at an important moment in time for Seattle: over the last ten years we have seen rapid growth in the park and recreation system and dramatic demographic changes. These changes reflect national trends that other cities are facing, and call for us to do a careful evaluation of programs and services that meet new needs.

Between August and March, we heard from many of you through 35 community meetings and an online survey, and our employees voiced their opinions at four all-staff meetings, to identify major issues and policy questions relating to Parks and Recreation's current strengths, challenges, and opportunities.

That process led to the draft plan, which is divided into six goal areas where we plan to dedicate our energies and resources over the next five years. The goals are:

• Active stewardship of parks and open spaces
• Support for healthy lifestyles and diversity through recreation opportunities
• Strengthening relationships with the public
• Maintaining parks and facilities
• Develop internal team capacity and organizational culture
• Strengthen internal organizational systems and structures

A second round of public meetings to listen to public reaction to the draft plan is under way and wraps up on April 24. For a copy of the draft, a list of meeting dates and locations and the online comment form (which closes on April 30), please visit our Strategic Action Plan web page. We hope to get your participation in this important process!

Moving from "not my problem" to fixing the problem

Every year, the City of Seattle receives more than 10 million phone calls and thousands more e-mails, letters, and visits from people looking for help. Many are handled well. But too often, callers are confronted by a bureaucratic and unresponsive system that does not value their time.

Across City department, we're focusing on improving customer service. First we must establish clear standards and expectations. That's where you come in. As our customer, your input will help us develop a meaningful Customer Bill of Rights. Please fill out this survey-it only takes a few minutes.

Changes at Magnuson Park

Acquired from the Navy in two phases in 1975 and 1995, Magnuson Park is the city's second largest park at 350 acres. Sitting on a spectacular piece of land that juts out into Lake Washington, Magnuson Park has the potential to be a regional destination that provides an array of recreational opportunities and natural habitat for wildlife.

If you go out to Magnuson right now, you'll see dilapidated buildings and crumbling asphalt- remnants of the old Navy Base-scattered among grassy fields and native habitat. To get where we want to be, Magnuson Park is undergoing several phases of development. Right now we have two large efforts under way. One is the construction of wetlands, habitat, and athletic fields, and the other is several public-private partnerships that will make possible the renovation of several old Navy buildings in the park. I understand well that some of these elements are controversial and that there's disagreement within the community and among park users about them. It's important to keep in mind that when there are disagreements, it's our responsibility to listen carefully and then to make a decision that we believe is in the overall best interest of the public and our park users.

For that reason I'd like very much to hear your thoughts on the developments at Magnuson Park and feedback about current programming, of which there is always quite a variety. Contact Magnuson Park Manager Charles Ng at charles.ng@seattle.gov to voice your ideas.

Habitat, Wetland and Athletic Field Development Project
The 43-acre Habitat, Wetlands, and Athletic Field Development Project, funded mainly by the Pro Parks Levy, is an exciting move toward realizing the community's vision of Magnuson Park. Parks is developing 10 acres of new wetlands at the south end of the park and will demolish 12 acres of asphalt and replace it with natural habitat, resulting in a net gain in acres of habitat. The project also provides for the construction of two lighted soccer fields, two baseball diamonds, and a rugby field. Fencing of the construction site just went up, and I encourage you to keep up with the project at its website. www.seattle.gov/parks/ProParks/projects/Magnuson.htm.

Construction will take place from now through the fall of 2009, and may a cause few disruptions to those of you who visit the park. Parts of some parking lots will be closed and roads may periodically be blocked, resulting in traffic slowdowns in and out of the park. Two of the four picnic shelters will be closed throughout the construction period.

The project also includes restoration of electrical power at the beach, which is necessary for functional bathrooms (something I think we can all agree is important). Because electricity won't be available until next fall, during the summer we will provide plenty of portable toilets that will be serviced daily.

These projects will bring us a huge step closer to realizing the vision of Magnuson as a great urban park. We appreciate your patience while construction is under way and we hope it doesn't stop you from enjoying all that Magnuson Park has to offer today.

Public-Private Partnerships Sought to Rehab Magnuson Buildings
The City Council will soon take up four pieces of legislation that clear the way for construction of a new tennis center and the renovation of three deteriorating former military buildings at Magnuson Park into spaces for arts and recreation through innovative public-private partnerships.

The proposals before the City Council tap up to $16.8 million in private investments to save a popular sailing program, renovate theater space for Civic Light Opera, and create a new home for the Cascade Bicycle Club, among other benefits. Without partnerships, the City faces a bill of between $50 and $75 million to upgrade all of the remaining buildings at Magnuson Park-just to meet building codes. These buildings are in really bad shape. The City simply does not have the $50 to $75 million it would take to bring all the buildings into compliance with building, fire, and other codes, so we have tried to think creatively about how to get the job done with public-private partnerships. Today we cannot get permits to use the buildings. To see the condition of the buildings, check out the photo in this article: http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2004296374_magnuson21m.html

To give you a little background, in 2005, Parks sought bids from private and nonprofit investors to finance the renovation of several buildings in Magnuson Park and to expand their uses. Today, the Council is considering the following four proposals:

• Cascade Bicycle Club has offered to invest $3 million to upgrade Building 18, now vacant, to house the Northwest Center for Cycling. The building will include classrooms, a bike-repair workshop, a training center for cyclists, a small coffee shop, the Cascade Bicycle Club, and space for other bicycle-oriented organizations.



• Building 11 LLC, formed to renovate Building 11 in the northwest corner of the park, proposes a $7 million upgrade for a recreation-oriented mixed-use development. The building would continue to house Sail Sand Point, a nonprofit small boat program, and other recreation and fitness organizations, a green technology company, artist lofts, and two local favorite restaurants - Kidd Valley and Ivar's.



• Civic Light Opera would invest up to $5 million to revamp and run the theater at the north end of the Magnuson Community Center. Civic Light Opera and other theater companies currently use the space, but the facility needs substantial upgrades to be functional for live performances. In exchange for a long-term lease, Civic Light Opera would raise the money and improve the theater in phases. Other theater groups could use the space as well.



• Seattle Court Sports Unlimited proposes to spend $1.8 million to build a new indoor-outdoor tennis facility with 10 courts in an air-supported structure, or bubble.

The City Council Parks and Seattle Center Committee, chaired by Councilmember Tom Rasmussen, will review this legislation in late spring before passing it to the full Council for a final vote. I encourage you to email or call your Councilmembers and let them know your thoughts about these proposals. You can find Councilmember contact information at www.seattle.gov/council/.

We think these public-private partnerships represent an innovative and cost-effective approach to maintaining these historic buildings for the provision of recreation-related services. At the end of all of this, Magnuson Park will truly have something for everyone.

Grand Opening of the Seward Environmental and Audubon Center on April 26

Please join Parks and Recreation and the Audubon Society as we cut the ribbon on the newly renovated historic Annex building in Seward Park, now home to the Seward Environmental and Audubon Center.

A unique partnership between Parks and Audubon emphasizes our shared mission to provide environmental education and land stewardship, and our commitment to serving all communities and using our natural areas as classrooms. The new Center will provide unmatched environmental educational opportunities for Southeast Seattle residents, who have been underserved in the past. The Audubon Society's contribution is a precious gift to one of Seattle's original Olmsted parks and to our mutual mission.

National Audubon Society President John Flicker (how's that for the appropriate name for the job holder?) will be on hand to kick off the opening celebration at noon, and afternoon activities include demonstrations in the citizen-science laboratory, bird box building, naturalist-led tours of the park, homemade bird feeders, and the folding of 100 origami cranes. Morning activities include a teen-led bird banding demonstration and a walk through the park from 9 to 11 a.m., and a program for toddlers led by a naturalist disguised as a talking tree at 11 a.m.

For information about ongoing environmental activities at the Seward Environmental and Audubon Center visit the Seward Park or the Audubon. After the opening, I'd like to hear what you think about the new facility.

April is Earth Month

Happy Earth Day! Although April 22 is Earth Day, at Parks and Recreation the whole month of April is now known as "Earth Month." This means there are plenty of chances to participate in the many earth-friendly activities going on in our parks. Although Earth Month gets folks motivated, we hope it is not the only time you get out and volunteer in a park. Ongoing volunteer opportunities across our park system are always available to anyone willing to get their hands dirty. If you have a new volunteer project or concerns about an existing project, please email North Seattle Volunteer Coordinator Theresa McEwen at theresa.mcewen@seattle.gov or South Seattle Volunteer Coordinator Janine VanSanden at janine.vansanden@seattle.gov.

Here's a sampling of some of the fun Earth Day activities we've got going on this month.

April 26
Kinnear- Earth Day Park Work Party TEEN FRIENDLY
Time: 9:30 a.m. - 1 p.m.
Come join in and help with weeding, clearing away ivy and blackberry bushes and doing general cleaning in Kinnear Park. Light snacks and drinks provided. Wear layered clothing. Rain or shine event!
Meet at: Upper Kinnear Park by the swing set at 899 W. Olympic Place
Contact: Ann Pearce, 206-284-0604 and Annrpearce@aol.com

April 28
Magnuson Park Promontory Point Habitat Enhancement
Time: 9 a.m. - Noon
Join a special volunteer group preparing for the growing season!
Meet at: Education Pavilion; enter at NE 65th St, drive east to boat launch parking lot, look for yellow "VOLUNTEER" banner and signs!
Contact: Bonnie Miller at 206-524-8713 or bmiller@serv.net

If these dates don't work for you, find more Earth Month volunteer opportunities.

Outdoor Recycling at SE and SW Seattle Parks

Everyone has seen garbage cans heaped with recyclable cans and bottles after a little league game or family picnic. We now aim to capture these resources in outdoor recycling bins at Southeast and Southwest Seattle parks as part of our new recycling pilot program.

You can find the bright blue, clearly marked recycling bins at ballfields, picnic areas, and beaches. We estimate that the program will divert 45 tons of recyclables from the trash over the nine month pilot period. And placing recycling bins at places where kids gather will encourage them to develop lifelong habits in recycling and conservation. We plan to track tonnage collected and operations costs during the pilot, and will use those figures to evaluate how effective the program is in diverting recyclables from the waste stream.

The outdoor recycling pilot program complements the comprehensive recycling of bottles, cans, paper, and other industrial materials we already do at our indoor facilities.

We tried outdoor recycling in 1992 with not much success - lots of people put the wrong materials in the wrong bins-so this time we're addressing the problem by increasing our outreach. Please do your part and help this program succeed by using these bins only for glass and plastic bottles and aluminum cans. If you notice certain bins being misused, or if you have ideas that will help this program succeed, please e-mail Leah Tivoli at leah.tivoli@seattle.gov.

For more information on recycling and other environmental initiatives at Parks, please visit www.seattle.gov/parks/environment/index.htm.

Want The Green Trail e-Newsletter delivered directly to your e-mail? Contact Malia Langworthy at malia.langworthy@seattle.gov.