Give Public Testimony on the Parks and Green Spaces Levy:

According to Richard Conlin's newsletter:

On Friday, June 28, the Parks and Green Spaces Levy Advisory Committee reported to the City Council on its deliberations about a possible 2008 Parks and Open Space Levy. The Committee voted 23 to 1 in favor of a package totaling some $140 million, and recommended (with no opposing votes, but with some abstentions) that the Council place this package on the ballot in 2008. If the Council agrees with this recommendation and this proposed size, the combination of taxes levied for Parks and the Market would be approximately the same as those currently levied in the expiring 2000 Parks Levy. Voter approval of the two levies would therefore result in no net change in property tax bills.

The Council will debate these recommendations at Committees of the Whole on July 14 and 21 at 2:30pm, with public hearings to be held on July 10 and July 16, both at the City Council chambers at 5:30 PM. The Council must vote on a final package and make a decision as to whether to go to the ballot this year by July 28.

The package proposed by the Advisory Committee includes:

• $34 million for Neighborhood Park acquisition in 19 areas identified by the Parks Department as not meeting Comprehensive Plan goals for open space, including 17 Urban Villages and two residential neighborhoods, along with acquisition of additional properties in seven natural areas and greenbelts.
• $83 million for park development, including improvements to 23 neighborhood playgrounds, parks on three reservoir lids, two new skate parks, converting three wading pools to safer spray parks, and 8 specific neighborhood parks; seismic renovation of two Parks-owned buildings, the Seattle Asian Art Museum and Langston Hughes Performing Arts Center; renovating and adding new field surface to four athletic fields; developing facilities at five major citywide parks; and constructing three trails, including completion of the Burke-Gilman Trail.
• $8 million for forest and stream restoration, community food gardens, and developing City-owned street ends to provide publicly accessible shoreline.
• $15 million for an Opportunity Fund to fund acquisition and development projects identified by neighborhood and community groups.

• Parks & Green Spaces Levy Home Page
• The Parks and Green Spaces Levy Advisory Committee Report

 

Alternately, if you would like to send comments to the committee via email, you can do so at  parksandgreenspaceslevy@seattle.gov.