October 23, 2013 Meeting
Summary
-- see also the
August 28, 2013 meeting summary
1) Introductions -
Norah Robinson, King County Parks; Greg Helland, FOMP President and SODA
representative; Herb Bone,
Marymoor R/C Club, FOMP Board; Michael Hobbs, Eastside Audubon, FOMP Secretary;
Jack MacKinnon, Marymoor Community Gardener's Association
2) Willowmoor Floodplain Restoration Project - The meeting that was
scheduled for October 23 was postponed until November 13. A report from
the September meeting can be viewed here:
images/Willowmoor SAC Meeting Report 09252013.pdf
3) ADA Parking Spot Revisions - In response to concerns from citizens,
and in anticipation of new ADA rules coming into effect at the end of the year,
Parks is planning several improvements to the gravel parking lots in the park.
They have the funds and opportunity to complete this project as soon as
mid-November.
In each area, the objective is to: increase number of spaces if needed,
repair and repaint existing surfaces, install or improve signage, improve
walkways in front of spaces, add transition into activity area, add ‘truncated
dome’ strips at transition to activity areas.
- South Lot (Lot D)
- Move vendor to east side of pay station entrance.
- Run power to accommodate vendor.
- Level areas and extend from existing asphalt to the east, to
create new vendor area on east side of entrance.
- Install drywell to accept runoff from new asphalt and reduce
puddling in that area.
- Utilizing existing asphalt west of the pay station, add one
space, reseal and repaint spaces.
- Move curb stops as needed to allow adequate walkway in front
of ADA spaces.
- Interpretive Lot (Lot G)
- Eliminate the two spaces now located at the southwest corner,
along the south fence; because they ‘back’ into the ADA space along
the west fence.
- Run power to that area, designate it as a vendor space.
- Utilize current vendor space as additional ADA space.
- Run asphalt from the ‘old’ vendor space to the east,
incorporating pay station and entry to dog area, adding two new
spaces east of entry.
- Install drywells to accept runoff and reduce puddling at center
entrance.
- Add asphalt on either side of ‘Soccer’ spaces on north side of
lot to create total of five spaces there.
- R/C Parking Lot
- Improve existing spaces, add ‘truncated dome’ strips at
transition to activity area.
- Lot B (Cowboy)
- Install 12 new spaces, with two entry points to activity field.
- Pea Patch
- Install one space with gradual slope to garden.
4) CIP Project/Facility Updates:
- Birdloop – Norah would
still like to use curb stops as parking guides in the southeast part of
the Interpretive Lot, but there are currently no available curb stops.
Parks is on a tight budget until 2014.
- Garden Loosestrife Control Project - Norah is almost finished
with a final report on this project. Signs should arrive Monday.
Norah will work with Eastside Audubon to determine placement.
- Marymoor Community Gardens - Fall Garden cleanup was in early
October. In 2013, 8083 lbs. of freshly harvested organic produce was
delivered to HopeLink! Jane Bois is new President. Laura Hall will be
the new MCGA FOMP Representative, starting in 2014.
- Parking-machine Pullout Proposal – Greg and the group came
out with a new suggestion during discussions: The drive-thru causes
traffic problems that will only be partly resolvable through
reconfiguration. The biggest problems appear to be on Saturdays, when
soccer parking peaks. The new idea is to replace the two existing
machines on the drive-up with one ADA-accessible machine,
and to close the drive-thru at peak usage times (which
already done whenever traffic backs up onto the main road). Additional
machines could then be placed in the various parking lots. This would be
a lot cheaper than a total redesign of the pullout.
- Climbing Rock Playground - Turns out there is no funding for
new tot lot, as the funds available are only for
maintenance/refurbishment, and not for new facilities. But Parks
will be moving forward with adding two adult exercise stations.
- Sewer Pump Replacement - The main sewer pump for the park,
located ENE of the main entrance bridge, will need to be replaced, as it
is ancient, and repair parts are impossible to acquire. There have
been some recent temporary failures, which point to the critical nature
of this problem. Planning is ongoing, but replacement will likely be
after winter. During the actual replacement, there may be a short
period of time when water and restrooms will not be available in the
park. Porta-potties and water trucks would probably be substituted
as needed.
5) URGENT APPEAL for Board Members - The Friends of Marymoor Park
will be down to just two board members, Greg and Michael, by early 2014,
when Herb will be stepping down. We need some new volunteers to come
forward to sustain this organization. Parks has made a big commitment
to FOMP, and the various park users and user groups need to do their part.
Board Members are expected to attend as many FOMP meetings as possible
(there are only eleven a year). Occasionally, there will be a Board
Meeting separate from the monthly FOMP meeting, but those are few and far
between (typically less than 1 per year). Board Members may also be
called upon to help apply for and/or administer grants for projects within
Marymoor Park.
Next Meeting: November 20, 2013,
7:00 pm at the Art Barn
Note that the November meeting comes one week early, due
to Thanksgiving, and there will be meeting in December
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. |