2) Cottage Rehab –

The Park Office building just north of Clise Mansion needs some rehab.  Parks will be installing an ADA-accessible entrance on the front, with ramp.  Interior work will include removal of the fireplace, the creation of an ADA-accessible restroom, and may include a “bump-out” to the rear, replacing the rear entrance; kind of an enclosed porch bay.  Neither the fireplace nor the chimney are original.  The chimney removal and new roof will be installed soon; interior work, and any possible rear extension, will come later.

3) Sound Transit

Several FOMP members, and Norah, are scheduled to attend a March meeting to discuss mitigation wetlands required by the project. While Laura does like using the triangle area across Marymoor Way from the Velodrome, she would also like to see mitigation north of Marymoor Way, when removing wetlands from the area north of Marymoor Way. The only site possible that would be large enough for mitigation is the NW corner where the TOPS tennis facility might go. Another possibility that has been raised it to piggyback the mitigation with the Willowmoor Floodplain Restoration project west of the slough, west of the north end of the Dog Area. For trees, everyone wanted to make sure trees were replaced just slightly south of the tracks where possible (for instance along the north edge of the velodrome).

[Notes following this meeting:  The various interested parties have different rules, desires, and priorities.  But the representative from King County Permitting had the most stringent guidelines and requirements.  She emphasized several rules that were a surprise to many of us:

• Any mitigation site would become closed to public use for perpetuity - a mitigation wetland may not have trails for wildlife viewing, and would be subject to trespass restrictions (signs, maybe fencing, to keep people out). 
• Wetland mitigation sites must be designed to eliminate and exclude reed-canary grass.  This is usually done by creating a forest to shade out the grass.
• To be acceptable, a mitigation site typically must not be an "island", but must be substantially connected to wild lands.

As a result, the "triangle" area was eliminated from consideration.  Norah and Michael both expressed dismay at the idea of turning it into a forest patch with tall trees that would block views.  Michael also wants to keep the openness of that general area, as the grass fields are a major wintering site for Cackling Geese, a species of small goose that breeds in Alaska (they look like tiny Canada Geese, but are a separate species). The "triangle" area would also fail the third test.  Also, permanently excluding park visitors from several acres of the park seems very undesirable. ]

4) CIP/Project/Facilities Updates

a) Bird Loop - Gater shed built, gator arrived. Current work going on in Snag Row. Glenn complained about the wooden boxes along the south edge of Fields 7-8-9, which contain rugby equipment. The boxes are falling apart and overflowing. There is also a football blocking dummy at the NE corner of Snag Row, that should be cleaned up. Glenn was looking for additional work spot; Michael suggested a joint operation with SODA to remove ivy from along the slough trail.

b) Pet Garden – a company has approached Parks with the idea of “running” the Pet Garden, handling advertising, and handling all calls, etc. The company currently provides an alternative to cremation or burial for deceased pets. Currently, KC Parks gets very little interest to the Pet Garden currently, and when someone is interested, it requires a lot of staff time. Norah would like to explore an access to the Pet Garden from the north, with a path from Lot C along the north end of Snag Row, and then cutting through Snag Row to the Garden.

c) Sound Transit Tree Removal Mitigation – In addition to the mitigation wetland that will lose a slice, the Light Rail will require removal of many trees along SR-520. These will be mitigated within the park, to the tune of hundreds of new trees. Norah is hoping to get new trees planted in the Historic District, which will require cultural resource surveys (expensive) as part of this, as well as getting some more irrigation. Michael reiterated a request for short trees (cherries, red elderberry etc.) in the “heart-shaped dip” across Marymoor Way from the “Compost Piles”. Sound Transit will also try and replant near (but not too near) the rail line.

d) Dudley Carter Sculptures – A couple of sculpture installations are being repaired and should be placed somewhere within Marymoor. Norah initiated a discussion of where. For the “thunderbirds”, Michael expressed concern that people/children will want to climb on them. Glenn suggested the yard of the Park Office for them. Shane suggested that if the roundabout is built at the first main intersection area on Marymoor Way, that would a great spot for a bigger sculpture like “Condor”. Michael suggested the new park entrance that will be built for Light Rail as a place for one of the big ones, and suggested moving “Wek’Wek and Holukmeyumko” from the Pet Garden to a more public place, such as one of the park entrances. In fact, there are enough of the Dudley Carter sculptures to have them at all of the road and all of the trail accesses to Marymoor.

Our next meeting will be on Wednesday, April 25th, 2018 at 7:00 p.m. in the Art Barn