Public Document Library Table of Contents
The City of Kirkland, located directly across Lake Washington from Seattle's Magnuson Park, is one of several Eastside communities that will be impacted by the glare, sky glow, and noise emanating from the proposed lighted sports field complex. Below are written communications between Kirkland and Seattle city officials.
Title / Dates / Link |
Summary |
| Date: October 9, 2003 Type: Letter From: Greg Nickels, Mayor of Seattle To: Larry Springer, Mayor of Kirkland Subject: Response to Sep. 22, 2003 letter from Springer |
Nickels does not respond to Springer's request for a meeting. Letter claims that "The proposal for the development of the sports field complex already includes mitigation measures that should minimize the impacts to the residents of Kirkland" and claims that the use of full cutoff and shielded lights will "minimize offsite glare." What Nickels says he'll do in response to Springer's request is ask "Eric Friedli [Superintendent of Magnuson Park] to keep Mr. Russell [head of Kirkland's Parks Department] informed as we move through these steps in the approval process." |
| Date: September 23, 2003 Type: Letter From: Larry Springer, Mayor of Kirkland To: Peter Steinbrueck, Seattle City Council President Subject: Request by Springer for a meeting with Nickels |
Springer mentions formation of Eastside Friends of Lake Washington. "They are very concerned about the Magnuson Park plans and have requested that the City of Kirkland join with them in their pursuit of this issue. We have assured them that we are following this issue closely and that we will be meeting with City of Seattle officials to discuss this matter further. We would very much appreciate the opportunity to meet with you on this matter…" [Approximately one month later, Steinbrueck and two Kirkland City council members, Jim Lauinger and Joan McBride, meet.] |
| Date: September 22, 2003 Type: Letter From: Larry Springer, Mayor of Kirkland To: Greg Nickels, Mayor of Seattle Subject: Request by Springer for a meeting with Nickels |
Springer mentions formation of Eastside Friends of Lake Washington. "They are very concerned about the Magnuson Park plans and have requested that the City of Kirkland join with them in their pursuit of this issue. We have assured them that we are following this issue closely and that we will be meeting with City of Seattle officials to discuss this matter further. We would very much appreciate the opportunity to meet with you on this matter…" |
| Date: September 16, 2003 Type: Letter/memo From: Barry Russell, Director of Parks and Community Services (Kirkland) To: Kirkland City Council Subject: Response Letter to City Council's Questions Concerning the Sports Complex at Magnuson Park |
Provides short update on legal proceedings. Regarding computer generated lighting scenarios, memo says: "The Seattle staff informed us that their consultants are working on computer generated graphics that will show the revised field plan and simultate the lighting patterns as viewed from a variety of locations, including Kirkland. These should be available by late September/early October. The memo does not address questions related to construction time lines. |
| Date: September 2, 2003 Type: Letter/memo From: Barry Russell, Director of Parks and Community Services (Kirkland) To: Kirkland City Council Subject: Response Letter to Residents Concerned With Proposed Lighting of Sports Complex at Magnuson Park |
Memo lists a set of questions that the Kirkland City Council instructs Barry Russell to ask his Seattle Parks Department counterparts regarding the Magnuson Park lighted fields project. Questions pertain to field schematics, legal proceedings, computer generated lighting scenarios, and construction time lines. |
| Date: September 1, 2003 Type: Letter/memo From: Eric Friedli, Director Sand Point Magnuson Park (Seattle Parks and Recreation) To: Barry Russell, Director of Parks and Community Services (Kirkland) Subject: Responses to questions from Kirkland City Council pertaining to proposed Magnuson Park field lighting |
Friedli answers several questions including the following: Regarding status of computer generated light scenarios: "Our consultants are in the process of refining the computer simulated lighting graphics... I have asked the consultants to prepare images from the eastside of the lake as well as from Seattle. These should be ready for distribution in late September." [To date, no simulation has been received.] Regarding examples of locations where the types of lighting proposed are currently in use: "Marymoor Park has a relatively new soccer field and three baseball diamonds using the full cut-off technology that is proposed for most fo the fields at Sand Point... The University of Washington intramural fields also use the shielded conventional technology." |
| Date: August 20, 2003 Type: Letter/memo From: Barry Russell, Director of Parks and Community Services (Kirkland) To: Eric Friedli, Director Sand Point Magnuson Park (Seattle Parks and Recreation) Subject: Questions from Kirkland City Council pertaining to proposed Magnuson Park field lighting |
Barry Russell relays a request by the Kirkland City Council to find out more information from the Seattle Park Department, including that status of computer generated light scenarios as would be seen from the eastside of Lake Washington. |
| Date: May 12, 2003 Type: Letter From: Larry Springer, Mayor of Kirkland To: Greg Nickels, Mayor of Seattle Subject: Request for "ongoing dialog" |
Springer relays concerns of Kirkland residents "related to the cumulative light and glare impacts of proposed sports field lighting." Requests that Seattle keep Kirkland informed "as to further planning and decisions related to sports field lighting at Magnuson Park." Closes with "The City of Kirkland fully supports any and all mitigation measures … including the use of fully shielded floodlights and restricted hours of operation of the sports field lights." |
| Date: May 6, 2003 Type: Letter/memo From: Barry Russell, Director of Parks and Community Services (Kirkland) To: (Kirkland) Mayor and Members of City Council Subject: "Update on the Sand Point Magnuson Park Sports Complex Project" |
Barry Russell summarizes conversation(s) he had with Seattle Parks and Recreation staff where he asked two questions: "What is the construction timeline": (Construction would begin in July 2003 and unfold over several years, depending on funding) and "What are the lighting specifications?" ("Apart from being the unidirectional, anti-spill system it is too premature to determine the types and models"). |
| Date: September 4, 2002 Type: Letter/memo From: Barry Russell, Director of Parks and Community Services (Kirkland) To: (Kirkland) Mayor and Members of City Council Subject: "City of Seattle Sand Point Magnuson Park Project Update" |
Memo written in request by Kirkland City Council that city staff investigate lighting systems proposed for the Sand Point Magnuson Park sports field project and their potential impact on the nighttime skyline over Seattle. Memo downplays the effects this project might have on Kirkland, citing Seattle’s proposed use of "the newest technology in shielding for athletic field lighting." Based on this feedback, Kirkland City Council decides not to take any action on issue. |
[Page last updated 1/9/04]