Public Document Library Table of Contents

Seattle City Council Hearings

In the first half of 2004, the Seattle City Council had hearings related to the Magnuson Park lighted sports field master plan and a master plan was approved for 7 lighted fields with synthetic turfed on June 14, 2004. The master plan also included an additional 2 fields without lights, also with the option for synthetic turf.

During March/April 2005, the Council held a second round of hearings, this time related to a special building variance for the field light poles. Magnuson Park is in a single family zone with a 30-foot height limit, and the light poles are 65 to 85 feet high. This type of variance requires City Council approval, and the Council approved a variance for poles for 4 lighted fields on Apr. 18, 2005. The Parks Department will have to come back to Council at a later date for a variance to constuct light poles for the remaining 3 fields.

[Videos of Seattle City Council hearings are accessible via the Seattle Channel at http://www2.cityofseattle.net/media/default_sc.asp. For videos of the Council's Parks Committee meetings, select "Council - Parks, Neighborhoods & Education Committee" on the page. Also, about a week before each City Council Parks Committee meeting, the agenda is posted at http://www.seattle.gov/leg/parks.htm.]

Pole Height Variance Deliberations [March/April 2005]

Number / Title / Dates / Link	Summary
Title: Pole Height Variance Ordinance (Passed by Council) Date: Apr. 18, 2005 Author: Seattle City Council Number of pages: 10 Links: Ordinance (21 KB)	Clerk File Number: 306574. City Council grants variance to allow installation of fifty-two (52) light poles with light fixtures, in heights from 65 to 85 feet high--enough for four sports fields.
Title: City Council Staff analysis of Draft Variance Ordinance Date: April 13, 2005 Author: City Council Staff Number of pages: 3 Links: Memo (106 KB)	Document handed out at the Apr. 13, 2005 City Council Urban Development & Planning Committee meeting.
Title: Draft Variance Ordinance with Revision Marks Date: Mar. 23, 2005 Author: City Council Staff Number of pages: 10 Links: Draft Ordinance (315 KB)	Document handed out at the Apr. 13, 2005 City Council Urban Development & Planning Committee meeting.
Title: Memo to City Council Urban Development & Planning Committee Date: April 8, 2005 Author: Ken Bounds, Superintendent, Seattle Parks & Recreation Number of pages: 2 Links: Bounds Memo (94 KB)	Bounds makes his case to the City Council Urban Development & Planning Committee to approve light pole height variance (for 7 sportsfields at Magnuson Park) as requested.
Title: Master Use and Construction Application and Permit Date: March 1, 2004 Author: Department of Planning and Development Number of pages: 2 Links: Permit application (111 KB)	Document handed out at the Apr. 13, 2005 City Council Urban Development & Planning Committee meeting.
Title: Draft Ordinance approving Variance Request Date: Mar. 23, 2005 Author: Council Staff? Number of pages: 11 Links: Draft approval ordinance (391 KB)	Document handed out at the Mar. 23, 2005 City Council Urban Development & Planning Committee meeting.
Title: Magnuson Field Lighting Project Memo Date: Mar. 17, 2005D Author: Michael Dorcy, Land Use Planner, DPD Number of pages: 4 Links: DPD Memo (201 KB)	Document handed out at the Mar. 23, 2005 City Council Urban Development & Planning Committee meeting.
Title: Possible Amendment to Conditions Date: Mar. 23, 2005 Author: Council Staff? Number of pages: 1 Links: Possible Amendment to Conditions (39 KB)	Document handed out at the Mar. 23, 2005 City Council Urban Development & Planning Committee meeting.
Title: Memo to City Council Urban Development & Planning Committee Date: March 23, 2005 Author: Friends of Magnuson Park (FOMP) Number of pages: 3 Links: FOMP Memo (75 KB)	.
Title: Comment Letter to Council on Proposed Pole Height Variance Date: March 16, 2005 Author: FOMP Number of pages: 5 Links: Letter to Peter Steinbrueck (33 KB)	.
Title: Recommendation to Approve Pole Height Variance Date: Feb. 21, 2005 Author: Michael Dorcy, Land Use Planner, Department of Planning and Development (DPD) Number of pages: 14 Links: DPD Recommendation (64 KB)	.
Title: Notice of DPD Variance Recommendation Date: Feb. 21, 2005 Author: DPD official, probably Michael Dorcy Number of pages: 1 Links: DPD Recommendation Summary (674 KB)	One page summary of Park's variance request and DPD recommendation. [Unfortunately, the scan fidelity of this document is poor.]
Title: Timeline for Type 5 Council Land Use (Variance) Decision Date: Unclear [sometime in 2004] Author: Unclear, probably DPD Number of pages: 1 Links: Variance Time Line (55 KB)	.
Title: Letter removing parking lot and roadway lighting from variance request Date: Nov. 15, 2004 Author: Kevin Bergsrud, Planning & Development Specialist, Parks Dept. Number of pages: 1 Links: Request to revise variance (21 KB)	40 foot tall parking lot poles (36) and roadway light poles (39) removed from variance request. "We are revising the pole height for parking lot and roadway light poles to 30 feet tall" (a pole height which does NOT require Council approval).
Title: Permit and Complaint Status Date: Nov. 3, 2004 Author: DPD Number of pages: 1 Links: Permit and Complaint Status (28 KB)	The status of Park's variance request, as per the DPD's internal tracking system.
Title: Email Regarding Rational for 40 ft. Parking and Roadway poles Date: Sep. 28, 2004 Author: Kevin Bergsrud, Planning & Development Specialist, Parks Dept. Number of pages: 1 Links: Bergsrud email to Michael Dorcy (DPD) (21 KB)	Email sent to Michael Dorcy, apparently in request to a query regarding the rational for the 40 ft. roadway/parking pole height in the original variance request. "Regarding the Magnuson Park lighting, the rationale for using 40-foot tall light poles is the same as the cutoff lighting for the athletic fields. A taller pole will allow for more direct lighting, less glare, and fewer poles."
Title: Letter Downsizing Field Lights Variance Request Date: Sept. 27, 2004 Author: Kevin Bergsrud, Planning & Development Specialist, Parks Dept. Number of pages: 2 Links: Request to revise variance (74 KB)	Parks removes 20 poles and 180 light fixtures from variance request. New totals: 58 poles and 448 lights requested.
Title: Original Pole Height Variance Request Date: March 1, 2004 Author: Eric Friedli, Parks Dept. Number of pages: 32 Links: Application for Type 5 Land UseAction (1,081 KB)	Park Department requests pole height variance for 78 field light poles (between 65 ft. and 85 ft. tall) containing 628 light fixtures, as well as 75 roadway & parking lot poles (40 ft. tall) containing 93 light fixtures.

Master Plan Deliberations [1st half of 2004]

Title / Dates / Link	Summary
Title: Full City Council Vote on Magnuson Park Dates: June 14, 2004 Links: Council News Release New Master Plan (ordinance approved by City Council), Accompanying Map (120 KB) Resolution 30686 (establishing a Magnuson Park Advisory Group)	*
Title: June 2, 2004 Memo by Council Staff (Bill Alves): Council Decisions on Sand Point/Magnuson Park’s Sportsfield and Wetland Complex Link: 060204_Decision_Agenda.pdf (538 KB)	This memo, used as the basis for discussion at the June 2nd Council Parks Committee meeting, is an update of the May 19, 2004 version, with new material underlined.
Title: May 19, 2004 Memo by Council Staff (Bill Alves): Council Decisions on Sand Point/Magnuson Park’s Sportsfield and Wetland Complex Link: 051904_Decision_Agenda.pdf (205 KB)	This memo, used as the basis for discussion at the May 19th Council Parks Committee meeting, outlines the top eight decision points that require Council Parks Committee direction before an alternative (to the Mayor's 11 lighted/synthetic field proposal) can be drafted. In most cases, the memo offers arguments in favor and against, and provides a staff recommendation. The issues examined are: #1: What parts of the Master Plan should be included in the initial work to commence this summer? #2: How many lit sportsfields are appropriate in the Park (a long-term vision or goal)? #3: In addition to a limit of the number of lit sportsfields, should the Council put a limit on unlit sportsfields in the area outside the Sports Meadow? #4: Should Council approval of some of the sportsfields be conditional, and if so, how conditioned? #5: How should the operating hours of sportsfield lighting in the Park be limited? #6: Should the Council seek to ensure that some prime field time is available for drop in play or passive recreation at the Sports Meadow and/or at the sportsfields elsewhere in the Park? #7: Beyond the initial work defined in issue #1 above, what are the Council’s priorities for use of the funding now available or that may become available in the near future? #8: Should the Council require a wetland/natural area monitoring and adaptive management plan as an element of the Park Master Plan approved by ordinance?
Title: Memo from Parks Department, "Funding Plans Status", distributed at May 19 2004 City Council Parks Committee meeting Link: Parks Memo (161 KB)	Memo outlines the avenues the Parks Department is investigating to cover the unfunded portion of the Magnuson Park Sport Field Project plan, including the Washington National Guard (via the DoD Innovative Readiness Training Program), wetland mitigation banking, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, revenue bond financing (i.e., field user fees covering bond debt), voter levy / bond measures, private contributions, and grants (federal and state agencies, and private foundations).
Title: May 5, 2004 Presentation by Council Staff (Bill Alves): Analysis of Magnuson Plan (continuation of April 21st meeting) Link: Park Department's Response to Bill Alves Analysis (292 KB)	*
Title: April 21, 2004 Presentation by Council Staff (Bill Alves): Analysis of Magnuson Plan Links: Bill Alves' Summary (81 KB) Bill Alves' complete analysis (181 KB)	*
Title: April 21, 2004 2004 Presentation by Parks Dept. to Council Park's Committee Links: Phasing Plan (63 KB) Map 1: Full Master Plan (636 KB) Map 2: Map w/ Park amenities labeled (649 KB) Map 3: Phases 1 & 2 (1,051 KB) Map 3a: Phase 2 area outlined (551 KB)	At a previous Seattle City Council Parks Committee meeting, the committee asked the Parks Department to prepared and present a revised plan for Phase 1 and Phase 2 of the project that could be built without requiring additional funds beyond those allocated by the year 2000 Pro Parks Levy ($12 million). During this April 21 committee session, the Parks Department presented a revised plan, albeit, one that exceeded available funds by $4.2 million. The revised Phase 1 includes the development of 11 acres of the natural grass sports meadow (no lights) at a cost of $3,200,000, with construction to begin in late 2004. Development of an addtional 4 acres of the grass sports meadow would be postponed to a future phase. The revised Phase 2 includes one soccer, one rugby, one full size baseball diamond, and one softball/little league diamond (all lighted). It also includes the demolition of the Commissary building structure, but not the foundation. The total cost is estimated at $13,100,000 (the original Phase 2 plan was estimated at $30,000,000). Eric Friedli (Parks Department) said that if additional funding isn't found—from sources like the DoD's Innovative Readiness Program, wetland mitigation banking, or private philanthropy, or state and federal grants (see Financing section for more details)—then some components of phase 2 would be eliminated, such as the demolition of the commissary, synthetic surfaces in the outfields of the baseball fields, or some of the pedestrian improvements. In response to Council questions, the Parks Department indicated that: The Washington National Guard would not help with construction in Phase 1, but might in Phase 2 The plan is to keep all four fields in Phase 2 operational until 11pm each evening Drainage for the rugby and soccer field at the northern edge of the Phase 2 area would feed into a pipe (that drained into Lake Washington), not into wetlands It is unknown whether users fees will cover day-to-day operations costs
Title: April 5, 2004 Presentation by Parks Dept. to Full Council Link: 040504_BriefingMemo (475 KB) 040504_BriefingAppendixA (646 KB) 040504_BriefingAppendixB (763 KB)	The briefing memo is almost exactly the same as that handed out at the February 4, 2004 City Council Parks Committee Meeting. Similarly, Appendix A, a 14 page "Magnuson Park Public Outreach and Project Milestones" document dated January 2004, and Appendix B, and a 20 page summary of the project's environmental impacts (taken from the project's Environmental Impact Statement), are exactly the same documents as handed out at the February 4, 2004 City Council Parks Committee Meeting.
Title: March 17, 2004 City Council Parks Committee Meeting Link (Meeting Handouts): Memo (174 KB) Attachment A in PDF (49 KB) Attachment B in PDF (535 KB), Excel (67 KB) Attachment C in PDF (430 KB), Excel (41 KB)	Handout contains 4 pages of Park Department responses to City Council central staff questions (follow up questions to March 3rd meeting) regarding topics such as scheduling of the grass sports meadow, expected total number of hours of play the 11 lighted and synthetically surfaced fields would provide, and justification for why fields at Magnuson would be required to meet the Park Department's claimed 'unmet demand'. Handout contains three attachments: A) "Scheduling Attributes by Sport" lists the peak season (i.e., times of the year) and peak hours (i.e., days of the week and hours of the day) for youth soccer, adult soccer, youth softball, little league baseball, adult softball, adult baseball, youth football, adult rugby, youth & adult ultimate frisbee, and youth & adult lacrosse B) "2003 Field Use Statistics" lists 2003 usage statistics for all 200+ Park Department fields as well as 67 school district fields. Statistics include: district (central, north, south), # games played, game hours, # of practices, practice hours, and total hours of use. C) "Field Inventory" lists the address, primary usage type (i.e., soccer, softball, baseball, T-ball, etc.), surface type (grass, synthetic, sand), presence of lights, and primary user group (youth only or youth & adult) for all 200+ Park Department fields.
Title: March 3, 2004 City Council Parks Committee Meeting Link (Meeting Handouts): 030304_ParksCommitteePacket.pdf (1,097 KB)	Handouts from the meeting include a 2 page list of questions dated 2/10/04 from Councilmembers David Della and Jean Godden to Parks Department Superintendent Ken Bounds and Magnuson Park Supervisor Eric Friedli; and a 19 page response dated 2/26/04. The latter covers topics including: capacity of existing city sport field facilities and comparison with actual use increased capacity expected from the proposed Magnuson Park fields as well as other planned city field lighting / synthetic turfing projects Park Department estimates of unmet demand Estimated project costs ($60+ million) Funding sources that have been identified ($14 million) Funds spent on project so far (2+ million) Available funds remaining ($12,169,000)
Title: Mayor Nickels' Proposed Ordinance for Magnuson Park Date: Sent to City Council on Feb. 10, 2004 Link: Feb04_NickelsProposedOrdinance.pdf (478 KB) and http://clerk.ci.seattle.wa.us/ ~scripts/nph-brs.exe?s1=&s2= &s3=114827&s4=&s5=&Sect4= AND&l=20&Sect1=IMAGE&Sect2=THESON &Sect3=PLURON&Sect5=CBOR1&Sect6 =HITOFF&d=CBOR&p=1& u=/~public/cbor1.htm&r=1&f=G	Mayor Nickels submits the Park Department's full field plan—4 grass fields and 11 synthetic lighted fields—as well as lighting schedule (half the fields off by 10pm, other half by 11pm) to the Seattle City Council for approval. The Mayor's proposal hints at partial private funding—page 6 of the Notes addendum says "The final scope of phase 2 will depend on additional non-city funds (grants, private contributions, in-kind donations) that may be secured." [Note: Phase 1 is the construction of the "sports meadow" consisting of 4 grass fields. Phase 2 is the first of several phases where the synthetic lighted fields are constructed.]
Title: February 4, 2004 City Council Parks Committee Meeting Links (Meeting Handouts): 020404_ParksCommitteePacket_ Overview.pdf (489 KB) 020404_ParksCommitteePacket_A.pdf (646 KB) 020404_ParksCommitteePacket_B.pdf (763 KB)	Handouts from the meeting include a 9 page memo from Ken Bounds and Eric Friedli to the City Council Parks Committee dated 1/29/04 (provides 5 pages of background and 4 pages of maps), a 14 page "Magnuson Park Public Outreach and Project Milestones" document dated January 2004, and a 20 page summary of the project's environmental impacts (taken from the project's Environmental Impact Statement).

[Page last updated 5/21/05]