Friends of Marymoor Park

November 20th, 2002 Meeting Summary

-- see also the October 2002 meeting summary

NAPCOR Grant - Alexandra Scott presented a draft grant summary document.  A final grant summary document is due in December.  The gist of the summary is that 2002 was basically a pilot project, and that everything looks good for continuation into 2003 and beyond.  Additional signage and education will boost the amount recycled.  Alexandra would like FOMP user groups to post recycling information on their websites.

Greg Helland announced that he had sent a letter to King County Executive Ron Simms expressing FOMP's reactions and concerns regarding commercialization efforts.  Click to view a .pdf version of the letter.

Golf Driving Range - Check out the new drawing, showing the updates to the plans following input from KC Parks and FOMP.  They hope to break ground in the spring of 2003.  Revenue to King County is expected to be in the low to mid 6-figures per year guaranteed.  The county will get a percentage of the take if that would be above the guaranteed amount.

Concert Stage and Venue - Check out the new drawing.  The stage will face NE, and two kidney-shaped berms will be built in the meadow to provide tiered seating behind the "floor" seating.  There will be room for 5000 attendees.  The berms and fence will mean that larger capacity staged events will have to be held on the grass soccer fields.  However, there have historically been few events at Willowmoor Meadow which drew more than 5000 to a single stage.  Should WOMAD return to Marymoor, they will put a main stage on the grass soccer fields, probably much like the stage for the Luis Pulau Puget Sound Festival.  The concert series itself should provide a minimum in the high 5-figures the first year.

Check out an old aerial photo showing the zones impacted by the Executive's development plan, including the concert venue and the driving range.

Parking Fees - Starting in January (assuming the KC Council approves the final plan), a $1/visit fee will be charged at Marymoor.  Initially, there will be collection boxes in each parking lot.  You will put your dollar in an envelope and drop it in the box.  The county will be contracting with a company to gather payments, and there will be at least spot checking of compliance.  By mid-2003, they hope to have an automated system in operation that will be pay-as-you-leave.  Gates will be installed (5 at the West entrance, 2 at the East), and the machines will accept bills, coins, or passes.  Price and availability of annual passes has not yet been determined.  Shorter-term passes may be possible, depending on the gate vendor technology.

Other -

FOMP is applying for a grant to help fund the replacement of three rows of cottonwood and poplar trees with new plantings.  The effected trees are along the south side of the entrance road just east of the Sammamish bridge,  the trees just north of the Community Gardens and Interpretive Lot, and the trees just east of the Climbing Rock and the Velodrome (next to the ADIC building).

The Marymoor Cricket Alliance donated some software - thanks guys!

Next Meeting - there will be no meeting in December; the next meeting is Wednesday, January 22, 2003.

These notes were made by the webmaster, Michael Hobbs, and they 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.