The Westwood Neighborhood Council has developed what they call "an early vision" for the use of the Denny Middle School site and other lands owned by the Seattle Public Schools District.

Steven Fischer, president of the Westwood Neighborhood Council, said the community's vision includes a neighborhood-oriented combination of open spaces, natural areas and ball fields that are open to the public. See related story, Page 4.

"This area needs better public spaces that serve the community and complements the role of our schools and the Southwest Community Center," said Steven Fischer, president of the Westwood Neighborhood Council. "Local neighborhoods want to work with the school district, city parks department and other partners to create something special on this site. It's time to get people working together to find creative solutions for this great opportunity."

The community vision differs from the regional sports complex-oriented concepts presented as part of the school district's environmental impact statement alternatives which present a combination of parking, lighted tennis courts suitable to large-scale tournament play, and fenced playfields.

Currently, said Fischer, much of the school district-owned athletic sports complex is surrounded by nine-foot high fence, is lighted at night, and is closed to the public most hours. The lack of neighborhood use has been a major point of contention between the School District and local neighborhoods.

"The Southwest Community Center and nearby land could be a model for community recreation and open space uses," said Bruce Bentley, former chair of Seattle Parks Commission.

"The Southwest Athletic Complex that sits east of the site in question is already built out enough and is inaccessible to community use," Bentley said. "The Denny site should be open to community use both passively and actively without fences and commercialism. A number of us supported the Southwest Complex with lights and artificial turf to be used as a regional sports facility. In that process, we were promised neighborhood access, which never materialized. The adjacent neighborhoods are in need of active and open green passive space - not fences, parking lots and excessive lighting

"Let's learn from the past and take the time to find resources to make this something better for our kids and this community. Let's not commit to decisions now that we will have to live with for a very long time and will preclude the opportunity for something really special here," says Susan Harmon, neighborhood activist.

City Council member Tom Rasmussen, and parks deputy superintendent Christopher Williams met with members of the Westwood Neighborhood Council on earlier in and both suggested the potential for identifying future funding for parks' acquisition of the Denny site, including the potential upcoming new parks levy or a land swap between the school district and Seattle Parks Department.

"Let's keep our options open for now," said Steve Fischer. "Let's give ourselves time to create something really special."

The Westwood Neighborhood Council will be discus the proposal at its July 8 meeting.