Box 661 • 218 Main Street • Kirkland, WA 98033 • Phone: 425.301.4892
Fax: 425.739.0339  email: eastsidefriends@yahoo.com

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Eastside Friends of Lake Washington is a group formed of Eastside citizens opposed to the Seattle Parks Department plans to construct eleven lighted sports fields at Magnuson Park at Sand Point in Seattle. We represent several neighborhood associations, as well as other concerned citizens.  Kirkland's Market, Norkirk, and Moss Bay Neighborhood Associations are officially on record as being opposed to the lighted sports fields.

Update -- Seattle City Council Approves Scaled Back Plan

In June, the council approved:

   -  7 lighted fields with synthetically turf (rather than the original 11)

   -  All field lights-out at 10pm (rather than 11pm)

   -  No lights on Sundays (rather than 365 day/year operation)

   -  2 synthetic fields without lights

   -  An 11 acre natural grass sports meadow without lights

 

The council did not allocate funding to complete the project. The Seattle Parks Department has sufficient funds (approx. $12 million) to build 2 or 3 of the lighted fields. The Seattle Parks Dept. will attempt to raise the tens of millions of additional funds needed to complete the project.

 

Synopsis: We are pleased that the 11 lighted field plan was scaled back. However, even at 7 lighted fields with synthetic turf, the complex will be the largest in the Puget Sound area and will produce the sky glow of several regional shopping malls. We still believe that a waterfront park is the wrong place for hundreds of flood lights on poles.

 

Construction Begins on Unlit Fields

Earlier this summer, the Seattle Parks Department began construction on the unlit 11 acre natural grass sports meadow. This limited part of the larger project is fully funded, environmentally responsible, and truly focused at increasing playfield capacity for kids. We support unlit, grass fields.

 

Work on any of the lighted fields is unlikely to commence before 2006.

 

A Legal Challenge is Underway

 

Eastside Friends has been working closely with our Seattle-based counterpart, Friends of Magnuson Park (FOMP). In July, FOMP sued the Seattle Parks Department, challenging the adequacy of the environmental plan. While the legal challenge is far from a “silver bullet”, if successful it will force additional study of the environmental impacts, and apply pressure for a ‘go slow’ approach that limits initial construction to 2 or 3 lighted fields.

 

Why We Must Continue our Efforts

 

We must continue our political and legal efforts, and work to contain project funding. Here is why:

 

If we do nothing, the 7 lighted fields will almost certainly be built over the next few years. Left unopposed, the Seattle Parks Department will eventually find the funds, whether it be by selling field naming rights, charging user and tournament fees, soliciting private donations, selling bonds, or burying line items in Seattle’s next “Pro Parks” Levy (the current eight year levy funded by property taxes expires in 2008).

 

If we do nothing, it is likely the project will eventually grow right back to the original 11 lighted fields with synthetic turf. Why do we say this? Because once it became evident the city council was unwilling to approve more than 7 lighted fields, the Parks Department lobbied successfully to have two additional unlighted synthetic fields (in addition to the 7 lighted) added to the city council bill. Underground utilities will be installed in the unlit fields, signaling that the Parks Department hopes to eventually light at least 9 fields.

 

What You Can Do

 

Participate in the Magnuson Park Walkathon on the morning of Saturday, September 25th. For more information, and to register, see www.saveourpark.org The event helps raise funds, and is great way to educate yourself on the issues, meet other volunteers, and understand how you can become more involved.

 

Write a check to Friends of Magnuson Park to help fund their legal appeal. Such lawsuits are extremely expensive. Send your donation to:

       Eastside Friends of WA

       Suite 661

       218 Main Street

       Kirkland WA  98033

and we’ll forward it to FOMP. The donation is tax deductible.

We feel that while the Eastside will be the area most affected by the lighting, our area has been given virtually no consideration in the planning of this project. The Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS) for Magnuson does not mention the Eastside once, and the lone mention of anything outside of Seattle indicates that we will be subject to considerable glare. According to the FEIS "…nighttime viewers would be able to see large arrays of luminaries in use at the sports fields. The sports field light systems would also be visible from more distant viewing locations with clear lines of sight to Sand Point Magnuson Park. This would include a large area of the surface of Lake Washington and considerable portions of the suburban development east of the lake." (summary, "Light and Glare" section of the FEIS, page 3-151).

In addition, light reflected off of Lake Washington was not addressed, even though it is certain to be a major impact. See our Light Demo Page to get an idea of what reflected light can look like.

This plan has generated so much opposition because it will destroy the nighttime character of Lake Washington's shore – the issue is not playing fields for kids:

• We do not oppose fields for kids. The issue we have is with the impact of the lights. This is the wrong place for a lighted sports complex.

• Many of the fields are designed for adult league play. Many of the sponsors of the complex are adult leagues.

• Kids leagues do not need fields lit up until 11pm 7 days per week

• By Seattle's own admission—and apparently in violation of the state's environmental protection laws—no other areas were even considered for the fields.

Concerned? Sign our petition to voice your opposition to this project. Use our printable PDF petition form and send it along to us at the address provided.  We need to show that this project is not welcome on the shores of Lake Washington!