Seattle Parks and Recreation has issued a response to a Letter to the Editor from Bill and Margi Byers concerning a temporary seawall fix in Lincoln Park that amounts to a pile of rocks. Parks states they have plans to remove the rocks, but it may require jumping through some bureaucratic hoops to get it done.

The original letter can be read here.

Parks response:

Following is information regarding the communication from Bill and Margi Beyers. Parks apologizes for the delay in responding; the issue they raise is complex, involves multiple agencies, and required physical exploration.

Following the December 2012 storm surge, Parks found that the sewer mainline protective wall on the north side of Colman Pool was damaged in several places. As a temporary emergency measure to prevent further damage from the waves, we placed rocks at the damaged part of the sewer mainline protective wall. (The wall protects a sewer main that was replaced about seven years ago.) These rocks have effectively kept the sewer mainline protective wall from further damage.

Although our Concrete Crew was able to make some repairs to the sewer mainline protective wall, they were unable to gain access to the main washout area. When they were at the site on May 28, they found the extent of the damage was such that they feared that removing more of the rocks covering the sewer mainline protective wall might destabilize the wall. We added sand and gravel to provide, in the meantime, a little more stability. (The BEACH CLEANUP signs were intended to keep the public away while large trucks were using a narrow area that day.)

We are looking for a long-term solution. When we have identified and implemented it, we will remove the rocks. Because the designated emergency period has passed, we may need a permit from Washington State Department of Fisheries and/or the Army Corps of Engineers to remove the rocks placed during the emergency.

Sincerely,

Dewey Potter
Communications Manager
Seattle Parks and Recreation