Friends of Marymoor Park
April 27, 2022 Meeting Summary
-- see also the March 23, 2022 meeting summary
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Introductions – Norah Robinson, King County Parks; Greg Helland, SODA representative, FOMP President; Michael Hobbs, FOMP Secretary, webmaster; Glenn Eades, Eastside Audubon; Chris Randall, MAR/C representative; Keri DeWoody, Seattle Event Solutions (Clise Mansion management, and beer/cider sales at concerts); Amy Dunn, AEG Presents (Marymoor Concerts); Shazaad Jarrahian, Capital Project Manager III, King County Department of Natural Resources and Parks
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Sound Transit Water Improvement Project - 30% design – Shazaad Jarrahian, County site manager for Marymoor Park Stormwater Treatment Facility
Sound Transit and KC Parks completed an Alternatives Analysis – Objective is to provide stormwater treatment of existing impervious surface runoff. They had several alternatives and screening objectives; two alternatives were selected to be implemented: Alternative 4A: BioFiltration Channel and Raingarden in the Marymoor Office/Art Barn/Maintenance Barn area., and alternative 6A.
- 4A would take runoff from the mansion area into a storm drain system running around the north end of the Maintenance Barn. At about the NE corner of the Maintenance Barn, the water would flow into a biofiltration channel flowing into a “raingarden” – a vegetated pond, located east of the Art Barn. There will be an outlet channel into the existing storm drain system in case of a major flood. The raingarden is about 1-2 feet below current surface level. The site of the raingarden is an existing depression already, so little excavation will be required. The raingarden will require removal of two existing trees. Replacement planting will be required, but the replacements will surround the raingarden. The raingarden will also require Landmarks review.
- 6A would take the run-off from Lot K into a wetland swale, which would would be an enlargement and enhancement of the existing ditch between Lot K and Marymoor way. Improved culverts would be placed under the access drives to Lot K. The wetland swale would be vegetated, and would be designed to filter out contaminants that might otherwise flow through the drainage system to the Sammamish Slough.
Final design aimed for May 2023, with construction for Summer 2023-2024. There is a seasonal construction window, which may mean that work has to be deferred to 2024.
Greg asked about whether the pipe along the north end of the Maintenance Barn and whether digging the ditch would damage existing nearby large trees. Shazaad replied that the somewhat non-linear pipe path is to avoid tree root systems of neighboring trees.
- 4A would take runoff from the mansion area into a storm drain system running around the north end of the Maintenance Barn. At about the NE corner of the Maintenance Barn, the water would flow into a biofiltration channel flowing into a “raingarden” – a vegetated pond, located east of the Art Barn. There will be an outlet channel into the existing storm drain system in case of a major flood. The raingarden is about 1-2 feet below current surface level. The site of the raingarden is an existing depression already, so little excavation will be required. The raingarden will require removal of two existing trees. Replacement planting will be required, but the replacements will surround the raingarden. The raingarden will also require Landmarks review.
- CIP/Projects/Facilities Updates
- Eastside Audubon BirdLoop – EAS requested some weed control and has requested some assistance from KC weed control. EAS is especially concerned with European Hawthorn sprouts coming up around trees they “killed” using poison injections previously. There are also some of the previously-treated trees that failed to die. Michael with give additional information as to when in the late summer/early fall that breeding birds will be done breeding in the meadow and treatment can occur safely.
- Marymoor Community Gardens Association – All plots are rented out. There is a long waiting list.
- MAR/C Model Airplane Field – May 21st Open House open to anyone interested in model airplanes.
- Serve Our Dog Area (SODA) – The nesting heronry for Great Blue Herons has been surrounded by the seasonal fencing. There are many more nests this year than last, and the birds have expanded into some neighboring trees. There are approximately 75 nests! Given that each nest has 2 adults who will try to raise 2-4 young, this is a lot of herons! Young hatch from the eggs throughout late-April – early May, and the young take several weeks to fledge.
- Maintenance – Equipment cover in yard is underway.
- Marymoor West and Boathouse – Parking Lot lighting: Norah checked, and there is a timer on the lighting system. Currently, though, the timer is set to run all night to prevent illegal activities. Looking to having a motion sensor, but existing fixtures are not set up for that. They might put in an additional floodlight on a motion sensor, and turn off most of the lights at night.
- Professional Cricket Field – Still going through analysis. Norah implied that FOMP would be able to comment later, before anything was decided.
- Eastside Audubon BirdLoop – EAS requested some weed control and has requested some assistance from KC weed control. EAS is especially concerned with European Hawthorn sprouts coming up around trees they “killed” using poison injections previously. There are also some of the previously-treated trees that failed to die. Michael with give additional information as to when in the late summer/early fall that breeding birds will be done breeding in the meadow and treatment can occur safely.
- Event Updates
- More concerts have been scheduled - See marymoorconcerts.com
- CHOMP! is August 20th weekend (mostly Saturday).
- Other
- Amy Dunn will be leaving AEG June 2nd! No info on who will be replacing her.
- Norah Robinson is going to RETIRE from King County Parks!!! June will be her last FOMP meeting!
- Michael reports that a new bird species was recently seen at Marymoor. A Grasshopper Sparrow spent almost a week in the East Meadow. This is a small, tan sparrow that is found in limited numbers in Eastern Washington but is very rare in Western Washington. Well over 100 birders came to see this bird. This is the 240th species for Marymoor Park.
Discovered and photographed by Shamik Ghosh, https://www.instagram.com/shamiksphotos/
Next meeting Wednesday, May 25th, 2022
TBD is whether this will again be a remote meeting, or in-person at Marymoor
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.