Despite lingering neighborhood doubts, the Seattle School District says it has every intention of working with the surrounding community to determine what uses should replace Denny Middle School after it's torn down and rebuilt on Sealth High's campus.

Community members kicked around ideas and shared concerns at the Westwood Neighborhood Council's monthly meeting.

The district's relationship with leaders in the Westwood neighborhood was damaged after it revoked its support for a city of Seattle matching funds grant last spring that would have paid for a consultant to start a public input process for the redevelopment of the Denny site with the district and neighbors.

The grant was meant to ensure the community conversation as well as attempt to connect several public spaces that are currently disjointed.

"We don't have a great deal of trust that the school district will follow through," said Steven Fischer, president of the neighborhood group.

The district already has plans to redevelop the current Denny site to accommodate for athletics for both schools, but some in the community would rather see a more thoughtful plan that could include some "unprogrammed" public space.

David Tucker, a district spokesman, said initial plans are for a "citywide competitive tennis court facility" with 10 to 12 non-lighted tennis courts and a replacement softball field. A softball field and six tennis courts will be removed at Sealth to make room for a new Denny.

However, the 4.8-acre Denny site is large enough to build the necessary sports facilities as well other uses, said Tucker.

"... The neighborhood will be involved in a community process (this fall) to determine the uses of the remaining areas," said Tucker. "These uses could include a parking lot, soccer fields, skate park and informal natural park space."

But several residents are concerned a large sports complex would have a negative impact on the largely residential community. Tucker said the district would consider "all of the stakeholders wishes and concerns around this major athletic complex."

The district anticipates completing this design process a year from now.

About $3 million from the Denny/Sealth co-location project is allocated to redevelop the Denny site; $2 million for site improvements and $1 million for demolition and hazardous abatement.

The project has been a bumpy ride even from the start.

In February, amid overwhelming opposition from Sealth staff and students, the School Board voted to move forward with the $125 million capital project approved by voters through the Building Excellence III levy. Denny will be rebuilt next to Sealth and the schools will have some common spaces.

Major structural and safety upgrades are planned for the high school and construction is to begin this summer, completing in August 2011.

A lawsuit filed in March by some Sealth staff and parents aimed at halting the project is set for a hearing June 20.The district has moved to dismiss the case.

Some ideas discussed last week for the Denny property included an environmental learning center, outdoor classrooms, a climbing wall, and a skate park. But not only that, the community has a draft plan that seeks to link with walking paths core elements of the neighborhood; the two schools, the Southwest Community Center, Westwood Village and Roxhill Park.

"We can't move through it," Fischer said. We can't penetrate it as residents. We would like to see connectivity."

City Council member Tom Rasmussen, a special guest at the community meeting, said he would give his support of the neighborhood's ideas to the School Board at a city-schools briefing this week.

"I think this is a really exciting idea," said Rasmussen, a West Seattle resident.

But the council member said it was wise to start the discussion now.

"It's certainly not too soon to be talking like this and creating a vision," he said. "It does take sometimes a long time to work with the school district."

This is the kind of project that could be included in an extended parks levy, which the council will consider for placement on the fall ballot. Levy money can be leveraged with "sweat equity" through matching fund grants, Rasmussen said.

A citizen's advisory committee will propose a package for a new $140 million levy to the council by June 30.

Deputy Superintendent of the Parks Department Christopher Williams, also present, called the neighbor's plan "great."

At several people's suggestion that the city buy a portion of the Denny lot from the district, Williams said his department is facing a " budget challenge" of more than a 33 percent decline in capital revenue this coming fiscal year.

Williams noted that unlike the Southwest Community Center, most of the city's community centers were adjacent to green spaces.

"This one has the peculiarity of being surrounded by concrete," Williams observed.

Contact the Westwood Neighborhood Council at http://www.scn.org/westwood/.

Rebekah Schilperoort can be reached at rebekahs@robinsonnews.com.