Friends of Athletic Fields (FAF) is busy keeping up with the many activities and meetings associated with active recreational facilities around the Puget Sound region and state-wide. Here are some of the issues that have been our recent focus:

• Welcome new FAF Boardmembers! We have expanded our board membership to ten positions with representatives from all over the Seattle area for soccer (youth and adult), ultimate, lacrosse, little league baseball, softball, and rugby. We will continue our advocacy mission for more play opportunities on better quality fields for all sports. See <About Us> for the complete list.

• Seattle City Budget. Given the City's budget crunch, "discretionary" funding for the Department of Parks and Recreation is on the chopping block. Thanks to those that already commented at one of the public meetings that City Council recently held. If you want your athletic fields to continue to be properly maintained, send your comments in to the City Council Budget Committee. Your opinion really does make a difference to the decision makers. More info on the City's budget process here: http://www.seattle.gov/council/budget/default.htm

• Maple Leaf Reservoir Lid Design Meeting #4, Wednesday, June 16th, 6:30-8:30pm, Olympic View Elementary. At Design Meeting #3 (4/22), Parks presented three park layout concepts (called Vista, Waves, and Commons - follow link below for details) and solicited input from attendees to "determine what the needs and priorities are within the community". Field users need to speak up if they want athletic fields to be part of the design. Submit comments via email to the Parks' project manager now, kellee.jones@seattle.gov, before the design advances too far.

  Maple Leaf Reservoir Lid design project meeting #2 was held on Tuesday, February 9th to gain public input and over 140 neighbors and interested citizens attended, including a contingent of pickleball enthusiasts. Breakout groups discussed features they'd like to see on the new flat ground on top of the buried reservoir and surrounding existing park areas. Submit comments to Kellee Jones/Parks PM via email thru the link above. Concepts previously developed through efforts by the Maple Leaf Community Council can be found here: Maple Leaf CC Reservoir Lid Design Concepts.

• West Seattle Reservoir Lid (Westcrest Park) Design Meeting #4, Saturday, June 26th, 10am-Noon, Southwest Community Center. At Design Meeting #3 (4/24), Parks presented three schematic designs for the West Seattle Reservoir Lid project to gather public input for a preferred design. Despite expressions of public support for active recreation at past meetings, Parks and the designer (Site Workshop) did not appear to include the sportsfield element as an important priority. Field users need to speak up if they want an athletic field on the lid. Designs should maximize the usable meadow space without routing intersecting pathways through the meadow. Submit comments to Susanne Friedman/Parks PM via email: susanne.friedman@seattle.gov.

  Design meeting #2 was held on Saturday, February 6th to gain public input and disc golfers were in force amongst the 120 attendees. Breakout groups discussed features they'd like to see on the new flat ground on top of the buried reservoir (~6 acres) and surrounding park (another 14 acres) - follow link above for details. Besides the disc golfers, supporters for active recreation were few in number and Parks factors that into their decisions. West Seattle field users need to speak up if they want an athletic field on the lid.

• Jefferson Playfield Upgrade, Beacon Hill

  Design Meeting Wednesday, May 26th, 6-8:30pm, Jefferson Park Community Center

  There will be a playfield project update from 6:20-6:40 prior to the design meeting for the skatepark for the Jefferson Park Reservoir Lid Project. Jefferson Playfield down by Mercer Middle School will be upgraded including synthetic turf and lights as part of Jefferson Park Phase 2. Field user input, especially from the local community, is always welcome on these projects.

• Seattle Joint Use Agreement Renegotiation. DPR and the Seattle Public School District have been renegotiating their Joint Use Agreement since last November, which establishes the vision, objectives and procedures behind the two government bodies sharing athletic fields throughout Seattle. The JUA will be finalized over the next month or so. If you have any issues with how Parks and Schools work together (or not) in providing services to the active recreation community feel free to send comments to Nathan Torgelson/Parks (nathan.torgelson@seattle.gov).

• On Thursday, February 25th, 2010, the Board of Commissioners for the Seattle Department of Parks & Recreation (DPR) approved the Fee & Charges Policy developed by Parks staff with a couple of modifications. The most important change will be the elimination of the level of athletic skill being used to establish cost recovery for active recreation groups. This change will assure that those athletes striving to perform at higher skill levels will not be burdened with having to pay greater fees. Unfortunately, the Parks Board did not consider other changes recommended by FAF to assure that fair practices are used to establish comparable market rates and to limit fee increases to a reasonable annual percentage.

• Seattle Schools BTA3 Levy = Synthetic Turf

  Approved by Seattle voters February 9th - THANK YOU!

  Seattle Schools is planning ahead in the capital improvement levy (Proposition 1) for synthetic turf replacement at the high school athletic complexes and other fields as they will be reaching the end of their life over the next 6 years. This includes the following proposed fields & schedules as well as new energy efficient lighting at some fields plus emergency fields repairs: 2011: Rainier Beach, 2012: Ingraham; 2013: Ingraham; Denny/Sealth; 2015: Salmon Bay, Whitman, Franklin; 2016: Franklin, Roosevelt; 2017: Van Asselt, Whitman. More info here http://www.schoolsfirstseattle.org/why-levies-are-needed/ and here http://www.seattleschools.org/area/levy-info/index.html

We are active in many community and municipal organizations including Seattle Parks' Sportsfield Review Committee (SRC), Seattle Sports Advisory Council (SSAC), and the Parks Levy Oversight Committee. We do all this while endeavoring to keep up with our own sports activities both as players and coaches. Please take whatever time you can to join us in helping the active recreation community improve the quality and quantity of the athletic fields available to both youth and adults. Feel free to contact us via email if you have any questions or want to become more involved.

2010 Fields Projects:

Jefferson Playfield Upgrade, Beacon Hill

The Jefferson Park Reservoir Lid Project is moving forward with major progress on the north end of the park site. The reservoir lid has been repaired with a new layer of earth on top - this is where the grass athletic fields will go. As part of Phase 2, Jefferson Playfield down by Mercer Middle School will be upgraded including synthetic turf and lights. Check out Jefferson Park Phase 2 for more info and stay tuned for developments. Field user input, especially from the local community, is always welcome on these projects.

Delridge Playfield (West Seattle) and Genesee #1 (Genesee Park) are both slated to get synthetic turf with new lights at Delridge. These are the next Parks & Green Spaces Levy athletic fields projects are out to bid and will get constructed during the summer of 2010.

A community meeting was held on April 6th for upgrading Meadowbrook Playfield #1 (90' baseball diamond) including regrading the outfield, resurfacing infield (synthetic?), replacing irrigation and drainage, and replacing the backstop and fencing. Construction is planned for summer 2010 and completion by summer 2011.

Hiawatha Playfield Synthetic Turf, Hiawatha Community Center, 2700 California Ave SW.

Open for business December 17, 2009 - thank you Parks! This project upgraded the sand surface with synthetic turf and installed modern lighting fixtures at this West Seattle sportsfield. The new synthetic turf is certified lead-free as are all new synthetic turf fields installed by the Seattle Parks Department. Rubber track surfacing will be installed summer 2010. More info here: Hiawatha Playfield

Check out the Current Issues page for the latest news.

(last updated June 13, 2010)