West Woodland Elementary is a step closer to improving their play field facilities thanks to a unanimous endorsement received from the District Council Matching Fund Project Review Committee Wednesday, May 13, at the Ballard District Council meeting.

A group of faculty, staff, and PTA members, called the Friends of West Woodland (FOWW), recently applied for an $85,000 grant from the city’s Neighborhood Matching Fund program. Select members of the group, including school principal Marilyn Loveness, presented their case to the district council at Wednesday’s meeting.

Loveness described how the school, located at 5601 4th Ave. N.W., is often forced to close their play field due to inclement weather. This has led to a drastic decline in its use by both the school and local community. She said the renovation would restore both the field and playground.

A new track would also be added around the field.

Katie Barrett, West Woodland’s physical education instructor, emphasized the need for these improvements. According to her, the current field is not safe for children or east Ballard residents to use.

“Part of it is due to irrigation, pockets of mud, and puddles," Barrett said. "Rainy weather contributes to the muddy field. If a track were added, the kids could at least run there on rainy days."

The disrepair has also affected school and community events. Barrett described how the children raise money for outdoor education by holding fundraisers like a “move-a-thon.”

“Instead of selling candy, they raise money for how many laps they can run,” she said.

However, last year the event had to be held indoors due to the field’s condition.

“The main goal is to point out the area of east Ballard as very park deprived," said a PTA member present at the meeting. "The nearest track is a mile away at Ballard High School. Restoring the field lets the community safely access the area for a safe and level place to walk.”

The review committee, composed of Shannon Dunn, Ann Stedronsky and Jack Ellison, recently measured FOWW”s grant application against a list of criteria provided by the Department of Neighborhoods. Dunn spoke on behalf of the committee at the meeting and presented their approval.

“The committee visited the site, reviewed the presentation and has come up with an overwhelming endorsement of the project,” she said.

According to Dunn, each committee member reviewed the project separately. The final average score was 87 out of 100.

Dunn encouraged the district council members to accept FOWW’s grant application. The motion passed unanimously.

Dunn explained that the project still has to be reviewed by a citywide committee with the final decision being made by Mayor Greg Nickels. Funds will be rewarded in August or early September to all approved large projects.