Update Thursday, Nov. 10: In response to numerous comments, I asked Seattle Parks Department Acquisition Planner Chip Nevins whether the three businesses would be getting relocation assistance. Here is his response:

The relocation assistance provided by the City is enough to allow the businesses to find a new space, move and set-up their business at the new location. This would happen either when we are ready to develop the park, or if they decide to move after their lease expires.

Earlier: The Seattle Parks Department has signed a purchase and sale agreement to buy the land directly north of the Greenwood Library — which currently houses Greenwood Quickstop, Aloha Ramen and Manna Teriyaki – for a future park site.

Acquisition Planner Chip Nevins said Parks expects to close on the property sometime in early January. The current owner of the site is also the owner of the Greenwood Quickstop.

But, the quarter-acre site at North 81st Street and Greenwood Avenue North won’t be turned into a park right away. Nevins said the Parks Department doesn’t have the money yet to develop the site, and there’s no time frame yet for that to happen. So the businesses that are currently there will remain for the time being.

The purchase money comes from the 2008 Parks and Green Spaces Levy.

The Seattle Board of Park Commissioners usually meets downtown, but the board will have its next bi-monthly meeting at 7 p.m. Thursday at the Woodland Park Zoo, in the Activity Resource Center, 5500 Phinney Ave. N.

On the agenda is an update from Zoo Executive Director Deborah Jensen; a briefing on Seattle Parks emergency preparedness for both natural and man-made disasters; and an update on how the Parks Department is trying to make Green Lake Small Craft Center and Mt. Baker Rowing and Sailing Center financially independent.

Seattle Parks Department’s’ Lifelong Recreation Sound Steps Walking Program aims to get walkers aged 50 and over moving by hosting three full days of walks to highlight Olmsted-designed parks, on Aug. 4-6.

This walk…highlights the historic Olmsted park plan and some improvements made possible by the voter-approved 2000 Pro Parks Levy and the 2008 Parks and Green Spaces Levy.

Thursday, August 4: Meet at Seward Park’s Caffe Vita (5028 Wilson Ave. S). The walk proceeds from Seward Park to Capitol Hill by way of Genesee Park, Jefferson Park, Cheasty Blvd, Mount Baker Park, and the many other parks along Lake Washington Blvd.

Friday, August 5: Meet at Victrola Coffee (411 15th Ave. E). Walk from Capitol Hill to Ballard, by way of Volunteer Park, Interlaken Blvd., the Washington Park Arboretum, the University of Washington campus, Ravenna Park, Green Lake Park, and Woodland Park.

Saturday, August 6: Meet at Aster Coffee (5615 24th Ave. NW). Walk from Ballard to Queen Anne by way of Discovery Park, Magnolia Blvd, Kinnear Park, and Queen Anne Blvd.

Total distance for each day is between 12 and 13 miles. Each day will begin with coffee at 8:30 a.m. and will include stops for lunch, afternoon cold drinks, and an early dinner. The walk itself is free, but you’ll need to pay for your own food and beverages. Although many rest stops are included, the walk pace is moderately brisk.

People can join the walk for one, two, or all three days. It’s one way, so walkers should plan to use Metro, or have an accommodating friend or family member to deliver them each morning and pick them up later in the day.

To join the group for this unique opportunity to experience Seattle’s Olmsted parks on foot, please respond by Tuesday, August 2 to Mari Becker at sound.steps@seattle.gov or 206-684-4664.

At its monthly meeting last week, the NW District Council chose three projects from a list of nine community-submitted ideas as priorities for city funding.

Every year, each of the city’s 13 district councils selects three projects they consider to be priorities in their district. Projects are submitted by community members and groups, and are for small-scale safety improvements to streets or parks. The Neighborhood Projects Fund (NPF) provides about $90,000 per district per year for the priority projects.

The projects that the NW District Council selected are:

• Improve safety for vehicles and pedestrians at the five-way intersection where North 66th Street intersects with Woodland Place North and Linden Ave North on the far east side of Phinney Ridge by Green Lake.
• Pave and make necessary repairs and adjustments to existing walkway along the southern edge of the Woodland park Zoo; north of North 50th Street from Fremont to Phinney avenues.
• Paint, or otherwise establish a better separation on the Inner Green Lake Loop and sign with stenciled “heels vs. wheels.”

The NW District Council has also asked Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT) to evaluate cost and feasibility for an additional two projects:

• Install two radar speed display signs on 8th Avenue NW from NW 85th Street to NW 100th Street.
• Construct textured crosswalks along NW 85th Street for at least one intersection; to be incorporated into SDOT’s major repaving project of 85th Street from I-5 to 15th Avenue NW, set to begin this fall. Textured crosswalks provide better visibility for motorists and pedestrians.

SDOT and Seattle Parks and Recreation will submit their analysis of the five projects by late June.

Seattle Parks and Recreation is holding two public meetings to gather input on the future of its outdoor facilities. One of those meetings is near Greenwood.

The first meeting is from 7-8 p.m. on Wed., March 16, at the Jefferson Community Center, 3801 Beacon Ave. S. The next meeting is from 7-8 p.m. on Wed., March 23, at Bitter Lake Community Center, 13035 Linden Ave. N.

These meetings are an opportunity for the community to provide Seattle Parks and Recreation input on preserving and developing public outdoor recreation facilities, including parks, trails, and boating facilities. Parks encourages the public to attend and also to answer a quick nine question survey located at the plan update site: http://seattle.gov/parks/Publications/DevelopmentPlan.htm

With community input, Parks will update the 2006 Development Plan by the end of the year; it establishes eligibility for State grants through the Washington State Recreation and Conservation Office.

Parks staff will brief the Board of Park Commissioners on the draft 2011 Development Plan on May 26, 2011, and the Board will hold a public hearing on June 9, 2011.

For more information, please call Kathleen Conner, Project Planner, at 206-615-1299 or by email Kathleen.conner@seattle.gov.

Because of budget cuts, Seattle Parks and Recreation will have to cut back the number of wading pools that are open this summer. So Parks is looking for “partners” to help fund some wading pools.

Seattle Parks currently has 25 wading pools, but 10 will close because of budget problems. (However, three of those are being converted to water spray parks, which don’t require staffing.) That leaves five wading pools that will be open seven days a week, and another 10 open three days a week.

Parks hopes to expand the schedule to increase family recreational opportunities in a way that is economically and geographically equitable. Some communities may be more organized or have different access to funding sources, so Parks would pair wading pools as a way to ensure balanced and equal recreational opportunities across our city. Under this partnership, Parks would keep the wading pool open one additional day each week in the neighborhood from which the funds came, and Parks would select a second site that the contribution would fund as well.

Opportunities include:

· Sponsoring two wading pools one day per week through the summer at a cost of $8,800

· Sponsoring two wading pools for three days per week during the last two weeks of summer at a cost of $6,600

· Sponsoring a one day wading pool operation for a special event at a cost of $650

· Receiving recognition on the Seattle Parks and Recreation website

· Sponsoring an unfunded wading pool three days per week through the summer

For more information, or for organizations interested in a partnership with Parks and Recreation to provide more access to wading pools this summer, please contact Bill Dougherty, 206-684-7185, bill.dougherty@seattle.gov, or Kathy Whitman, 206-684-7099, kathy.whitman@seattle.gov, no later than May 1, 2011.

The Seattle Parks Foundation has released a report on the problems facing Seattle’s parks, in light of budget problems. The foundation is asking the public to take an online survey about finding stable funding for operations and maintenance of the park system.

The survey asks questions about your family’s park usage, whether you have or would consider volunteering to help clean up parks or teach programs at community centers, and your opinion on several possible park maintenance funding options. It takes about 10 minutes to complete.

Vision Greenwood Park, a volunteer group that is working with the city and community to improve the park, is hosting its winter fundraiser from 2-5 p.m. on Sunday, Feb. 27, at the Greenwood Senior Center, 525 N. 85th St.

Participants can listen to an urban bird talk and build a birdhouse to display either at the park or in their own yard.

Starting at 2 p.m., Mike Stringer, Chair of VGP, will update neighbors on the status of park improvements. Then, Sandra Woods will give a shot talk about urban birds, their habitat and the value of birds in our backyards and parks.

The birdhouse workshop starts at 3 p.m. VGP will supply basic building materials, but you can bring your own creative ideas and found objects to personalize your birdhouse. VGP organizers say this is a family-friendly project that includes hammering, drilling, gluing and painting.

The suggested donation is $25 per person to build one birdhouse, or $40 for a family to build two birdhouses.

Please RSVP to visiongreenwood@gmail.com to reserve a birdhouse.

Attendees are invited to hang their birdhouses in the soon-to-be constructed Greenwood Park Community Garden in the currently empty lot along Fremont Avenue. In the Fall of 2010 volunteers cleared the lot preparing it for development of 30-40 raised garden beds.

This Spring VGP will hold several volunteer work parties as well as hire contractors to build the new Greenwood Community Garden. Thanks to a matching grant from the City, the project is underway with construction documents being drawn up by local landscape architect Site Workshop. Birdhouses will decorate the Community Garden upon its completion this summer.

The 34th annual Green Lake Pathway of Lights is from 4:30-7:30 p.m. Saturday. Thousands of people traditionally come to see the luminaria placed around the entire 2.8 mile path. You’re encouraged to bring your own lights or candles.

Local musicians will perform at four sites around the lake: the Green Lake Community Center on the east side, The Arch on the east side of the Community Center, the Green Lake Small Craft Center (the Aqua Theater) on the south side, and the Bathhouse Theater (Seattle Public Theatre) on the north side. Warm drinks and treats will be available at all four locations, along with donation bins for non-perishable food items for Northwest Harvest.

Volunteers are still needed to help place and light the thousands of luminaria and to clean up after the event. Set-up is from 3-4:30 p.m., and the lighting of the candles starts at 4:30 p.m. Clean-up is from 7:30-8:30 p.m.

If you’d like to volunteer or perform during the event, call 206-684-0780 or email Faizah Osayande or Jeff Skinner.

We’re already hearing reports of accidents on the roadways due to this morning’s snow, so please drive carefully. You can check out Washington State Department of Transportation traffic cameras to see how your commute looks. Click here for WSDOT’s Travelers Information Map for freeways.

And you can follow Seattle Department of Transportation on twitter and Facebook to get traffic updates.

And please send us your weather pictures.

Seattle Parks and Recreation has closed some facilities, and is canceling all community center and pool programs after 6 p.m. tonight. Golf courses are closed, but not open for sledding because there’s not enough snow. Check the full list of affected programs here.

Some Seattle Parks and Recreation facilities will be closed on Friday and next Monday as part of the furlough program to fill the budget gap.

All Parks facilities and offices will also be closed on Thursday for Veterans’ Day.

Friday’s closures:

• Grounds maintenance
• Community centers (except child care and late night programs, which will still operate)
• Swimming pools
• Environmental Learning Centers
• Lifelong Recreation (except Food and Fitness programs, which will still operate)
• Business Service Center

Monday’s closures:

• Administrative offices (communications, correspondence, Park Board support, web management, public outreach, human resources, finance and administration)
• Planning and Development Division
• Magnuson Park office
• Youth Violence Prevention Initiative office

Facilities that will operate normally:

• Golf courses
• Special Events Scheduling
• Amy Yee Tennis Center

Seattle Parks and Recreation is looking for nominations for the Denny Awards, which honor volunteer service to the city’s parks system.

The deadline for nominations is Nov. 1. The award is named for the Denny family, Seattle pioneers who donated the land that became the first Seattle park, Denny Park, in 1864.

The Denny Awards acknowledge and honor the crucial role volunteers play in neighborhood parks, community centers, and recreation programs throughout the city. Volunteers help Parks and Recreation staff and management in the work of the department and give valuable advice on important decisions about our Parks and Recreation facilities and operations. Volunteers pull ivy and plant native trees in our parks, coach kids’ sports, work as docents at selected parks, and serve on various advisory councils and boards.

Denny Awards nominees should meet the following minimum qualifications. The nominee must have:

• Demonstrated exceptional stewardship to parks and/or recreation;
• Provided stellar leadership related to enhancing and preserving parks and/or recreation programs;
• Demonstrated a significant personal commitment of time and effort to assist the Seattle Parks and Recreation department, and
• Gained respect of community peers for efforts to help Seattle Parks and Recreation.