New benches, a picnic shelter, improved restrooms and re-vegetation are part of a plan to improve Shoreline’s 80-acre Hamlin Park. But those changes weren’t what the majority of residents came to speak about July 21 at the Shoreline City Council meeting.
Many are concerned about the proposed locations of two baseball fields in the park’s draft master site plan. Locals are asking whether the latest design has enough open space and allows for enough public use.
The park is over 50 years old.
“Ultimately in the ball field area we’re looking to find a configuration that would be best for all park users,” said Bill Clements, parks board chairman.
The draft master plan included two fields at the south end of lower Hamlin Park. Currently the park has four baseball fields in each of the four corners of the lower park.
Fewer but more high quality fields are supported by baseball leagues, Clements said.
Manager and coach of a little league team, Tiffany Hamilton said lower Hamlin is not a meadow space.
“This is a field, not a meadow,” she said. “We as a little league pay for the use of those fields.”
Other residents like Jeri Geer said they opposed the draft master plan because they feel the plan benefits one special interest group, at a significant loss of open grassy space for all public park users.
“I oppose the preferred plan or any plan that deviates from the voter mailer that voters received in spring of 2006 that talked about repairing three backstops, improving lighting and putting in stadium seating sections,” Geer said. “To this day we have only received indifference whenever we try to talk about deception I call voter fraud.”
Resident Bettelinn Brown read a statement by her husband Charles, also noting concern about a loss of open, public space.
“For many of us it is the openness itself that is appealing,” she said. “It is the best source for open sky and a broad green area ahead. It is our visual feast.”
The current plan places the two ball fields almost as far south as they can be located, Chuck Warsinske from Susan Black and Associates told council members.
“We have taken the geometries of this field and we have moved them around many many times,” he said. “We’ve gotten as far south as topography, trees and existing drainage will allow.”
The open space in the design will be sized to create one full ultimate Frisbee field, and be large enough for football and soccer, said parks planner Maureen Colaizzi. These sports “historically were always being compromised by infield dirt” at Hamlin Park, she added.
Also included in the proposed design is a T-ball field, a play area near the fields, a trail around the park’s exterior and ADA-approved pedestrian walkways.
Changes to make Hamlin more accessible for all are appreciated, Melissa Banker, vice president of the North King County Little League Challenger Division, a program for mentally and physically disabled children, said.
“I can guarantee you that right now Hamlin Park is the most un-ADA friendly park in the city. It’s horrible,” she said. “My kids can’t get down there because there’s really no way for them to get to any area of the park let alone the baseball area. Our kids would really like a public friendly park for those that really need it.”
Although the design was unanimously recommended by the Parks, Recreation and Cultural Services Board on June 27, the presentation of the draft plan was purely informational for council members. The council will receive another update when the project reaches 30 percent schematic design, according to parks director Dick Deal.
“We will continue to keep everyone up to speed at the park board meetings,” he said.
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