Friends of Marymoor Park

April 25, 2018 Meeting Summary

-- see also the March 28, 2018  meeting summary

1) Introductions

Norah Robinson, King County Parks – Marymoor Park lead; Michael Hobbs, FOMP Secretary, webmaster; Laura Hall, Marymoor Community Gardeners Association, FOMP Board; Steve Guty (MAR/C); Robin Barnes (MCGA), Kirby Cartwright (MCGA)

2) Marymoor Community Gardeners Association

MGCA would like to submit a grant proposal hoping to get money from FOMP for more hogs fuel to level the newly rebuilt paths. Hogs Fuel settles and compresses and needs to be renewed often. The path reconstruction was funded by a King County grant, but they will not be giving MCGA more money this year. They hope that the need for adding hogs fuel will diminish over the years.

MCGA does not have money available this year, since they had very high water bills last year. Water is 75% of the MCGA budget. There as a discussion about possible causes of this. MCGA will do gardener education. Michael suggested countdown timers on spigots, since he found a spigot just running within the last week. Robin noted that some gardens use keyed faucets.

The grant request would be for four truckloads (45 cubic yards each) at the SODA-negotiated price, plus Bobcat rental and miscellaneous. The total they are asking for is $5000.

Michael was concerned that this project is mostly for maintenance of the garden, for the benefit of the gardeners. [Granted, birdwatchers and bird photographers visit the garden, as do people who just want to look at flowers etc.] Michael suggested a surcharge to gardeners to pay for this. Or at least a surcharge to cover 50% of the grant request. That would amount to about $10 per plot.

Norah suggested that Parks may be able to do some of the work or provide some equipment that could reduce the cost of this project.

3) CIP/Project/Facilities Updates

a) Community Gardens - the apiary has not yet been reinstalled; members of the subcommittee are out of town

b) Cultural Resources at Marymoor – Norah reiterated the need to get assessment in advance of any digging projects.

c) Sound Transit – Norah and Dennis are evaluating where the mitigation 400-700 trees should be planted.  First priority is to replace trees as near as possible to where the trees will be removed.  Second priority would be planting in the Historic District.  Norah mentioned that they have recently been shown the original Olmstead Brothers plan for the Clise Mansion plantings, and they will be using that to guide planting in that district.

d) Cut-through traffic – In ongoing discussions of this issue, someone brought up the previously mentioned idea of an elongated traffic “circle” that would go in the area encompassing the western two stop signs.  Again, there was support for this plan.

e) Dudley Carter Sculptures – Should have vendor chosen by next meeting.  Need input on locations for Condor and for Thunderbirds

f) Sammamish River Transition Zone (re-boot) – 30% design http://www.kingcountyfloodcontrol.org/

g) TOPs Tennis Facility – MCGA wanted to discuss the TOPs Tennis Facility. Norah believes discussions are still ongoing, as well as assessment and permitting through the Department of Permitting and Environmental Review. MCGA is concerned about traffic. Norah pointed out that the indoor tennis season is mostly fall and winter, when other sports are not at Marymoor.  Laura also expressed concerns that the targeted underserved communities are not local, and there is very, very little in the way of public transit.

4) Other

Steve Guty, from the Marymoor model airplane field club, MAR/C, related that a local tech company tried to test an anti-drone weapon system at Marymoor, by flying an industrial drone, with a (real) Cesna flying overhead to monitor it. A MAR/C member was flying the drone, and he has been expelled from MAR/C.  He had apparently told the company that it would be okay to do the test at Marymoor.

The May meeting will be on Wednesday, May 23rd, 2018 at 7:00 p.m. in the Art Barn

These notes do not constitute an official record of the meeting.  They may have inaccuracies and omissions.  If anyone has any complaints about the content of these notes, they should direct them to Michael Hobbs at fomp@marymoor.org, and he will endeavor to correct them.

 

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