The Greenwood Park Steering Committee hosted its first of three design workshops July 16 that would incorporate four properties they would like to add on to the current park at 300 N.W. 80th St.

Throughout the workshop, neighbors and community members brainstormed an array of ideas to create what they said was to be a multi-generational neighborhood park.

The Seattle Parks Department purchased two of the four plots, located on Fremont Avenue North from North 87th Street to North 90th Street, in 2005 with Pro Parks Levy Opportunity funds. However, the other two properties are still privately owned, but they hope to acquire them in the near future.

The group also received $15,000 from the Neighborhood Matching Fund grant in March for the long-term planning development of the four plots. In doing so, the committee decided to team up with Mark Brands and Clayton Beaudoin from Site Workshop, a local landscape and architecture firm, to help with the designing process.

The neighboring Greenwood Boys and Girls Club also received an $80,000 Neighborhood Matching fund to renovate their property. The Site Workshop architects said they would work closely with them and the city to create cohesive projects.

Leading the workshop on Thursday, July 16, Brands and Beaudoin explained that the long-term plan for the park would overcome many of the challenges that have come up with the current park. These include: security due to the open lawn and the inability to see the interior park from both 87th and 89th streets; underutilized space (i.e. picnic area in the north corner); an unidentifiable connection to the Boys and Girls Club; and two remaining properties that are not yet owned by Seattle Parks.

Before splitting up attendees into smaller groups, Brands and Beaudoin shared helpful shapes of current parks, such as Ballard Commons Park, Regrade Dog Park and the Evanston P-Patch.

By the end of the meeting, favorable designs included adding a P-Patch, which could pull different parts of the community together and put more eyes around the property, basketball courts, a skate park, a social gathering space (i.e. shaded/sheltered picnic and seating area) and a stage for community events.

Beaudoin also asked attendees if they’d like the park to be community or city-based, attracting park-goers from all neighborhoods. The consensus was for it to be a small neighborhood park catering specifically to the Greenwood community.

However, a concern from some neighbors was the drainage soil along Evanston on the west side of the future park. Some suggested installing native plants to be used to filter storm water, but maintenance of those could be an issue.

Residents decided on an alternatives like adding a bird/butterfly habitat or making sure there is more constant maintenance of the area to be added in the plans.

Another opposition was the idea to install basketball courts or a skate park.

Instead of creating anything that would cause more noise, especially to those who live in close quarters of the park, a resident across the street from the park offered the option of a nature area that would identify plants, trees and bushes or artsy seating and sculptures.

Brands and Beaudoin said they would meet up with the steering committee in a few weeks and at the next workshop meeting on August 30, they would come back with several design concepts of the entire park and four properties.

The next workshops are as follows:

Meeting #2 will be on August 30 from Noon to 4 p.m. at Greenwood Park and will include food and entertainment along with the presentation of alternative park designs.

Meeting #3 will be on Oct. 5 from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. at Greenwood Senior Center, 525 N. 85th St. where they will review the preferred design.

To get involved contact Ronni Wolfe at visiongreenwood@gmail.com or contact Pamela Kliment at 684-7556 or Pamela.Kliment@seattle.gov.