2) Light Rail Link – Ballot measure in 2016. Voters will decide on whether to fund the extension of Link Rail from Overlake/Microsoft to Redmond.  The rail line would follow SR-520, and the proposed route would run rail across the north edge of Marymoor, with a station near the Northeast corner of the park.  This routing may impact Marymoor. Recent widening of SR 520 has made for very narrow clearance between the highway and park facilities.  Squeezing rail between them could have potential effects to Turf Field 3, the Event Pad, and possibly the Velodrome.  The rail project would be responsible for rebuilding any facilities.  See http://www.soundtransit.org/sites/default/files/E-01_RedTechCtrtoDowntownRedmond_FTemp.pdf

3) CIP/Project/Facilities Updates:

a) Birdloop – phase 2 of trail repair requested for 2017-18 budget. Phase 1 may need a top-coat of asphalt in shorter order than was hoped.  Norah continues to push for a boardwalk to replace the remainder of the paved section of the trail.

b) Noxious Weeds - In November, weed crews sprayed Canada Thistle in the Birdloop South Meadow.  Next spraying will be 3rd week of March.  There will be a meeting with Eastside Audubon in late February to discuss next steps.

c) Community Gardens – TJ Davis, from King County Parks, is working with the Marymoor Community Gardeners Association on a grant to support irrigation and the path reconstruction project. Hoping to make progress this spring.

MCGA has been flooded with applications from new gardeners. Apiary doing well.

d) Marymoor West and Boathouse Project - construction crews are slowly working on significant projects to the interior of the new boathouse

 e) Regional Trails Update – Planning is in full swing for a regional trail in the Eastside Rail Corridor (ERC) extending from Renton to Woodinville to help serve the region's non-motorized transportation needs, provide expanded recreational opportunities, and connect communities.  For more information, go to http://www.kingcounty.gov/services/parks-recreation/parks/capital-improvements/erc.aspx

f) Park Drainage - Lot B - Retention area work in progress.

g)  Shop yard fencing - Approved by design committee.  Approved by Landmarks, 11/19/2015.  Cultural Resource survey is the next step.

h) Concert Venue Seating – Parks has compared surface options for the preferred seating area. Current gravel with plastic grid overlay is in desperate need of repair. Replacing plastic grid material is almost $150,000. Rubber surfaces, or artificial turf, were also considered, and were also expensive.  Concrete would be $40-60,000, and parks crews can do the installation. With concrete, there would probably be a covered edge drainage trough.

There was push-back from FOMP members, in that a larger, fan-shaped concrete pad is yet another step towards a permanent inorganic venue. Greg, especially, raised concerns about an ever-increasing area of concrete, as the promoter continues to ask for more “preferred seating” (I.e. more revenue). Greg also asked whether a concrete pad would require Landmarks approval; Norah has discussed this in general with Landmarks, and doesn’t believe it will require specific Landmarks approval. She will make sure to check with Landmarks before proceeding.

4) Hockey:  Keith (whose last name I didn't catch) is with the Sno-King Amateur Hockey Association.  They have 700 kids who play hockey, with 2 rinks which are packed full. They are looking for expansion possibilities, especially as demand for kids hockey may increase if the NHL comes to the Puget Sound. He has previously and informally spoken with Dow Constantine, and with Greg Helland, about the concept of building one or more hockey rinks at Marymoor Park.  He felt that Marymoor's location is particularly attractive.

It takes 3 acres per "sheet" of ice, and they would like 2 or 3 sheets - a sheet being a rink.  This would require 6-10 acres.

Keith initially suggested an area in the ENE of Marymoor, but that would take out much of the model airplane field, as well as conflicting with the Marymoor Connector Trail.  Norah also reiterated the land use convention, which is in the 1995 Marymoor Park Master Plan, that the area south of Marymoor Way is limited to "Passive Use", which does not include building large facilities.  There was then discussion of looking at other locations north of Marymoor Way, though it is extremely hard to find unutilized land within that Active Use area.

Greg asserted that such a facility was not inappropriate, provided that there would be some public-use time.  Michael disagreed strongly, arguing that the park should be mainly open spaces, not a site for huge buildings.  Norah encouraged Keith to bring a more concrete proposal to Parks, and to do so soon, urging him to "get in line quickly".

We also discussed many of the possible issues - traffic, parking, water availability, etc.

5) Other:  No Big Top event scheduled for early 2016 (i.e. no Cavalia or Cirque du Soleil)