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Title : SPS Facilities Charges Ahead
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SPS Facilities Charges Ahead

Two SPS facilities stories of importance.

One, is the Webster building out in Ballard which has been leased to the Nordic Heritage Museum since 1980.  The district has said they would be taking control of the building back from Nordic but didn't say what the building will be used for.  (Nordic is moving to new digs in 2018.) Seems that is now changing.  From My Ballard:

A group of Ballard residents are hosting a meeting to discuss concerns over Seattle School District’s plans to renovate and reopen Webster School (currently the Nordic Heritage Museum) starting in 2018. The meeting is Tuesday, August 29 from 6 to 7:30 pm at the Nordic Heritage Museum, 3014 NW 67th St.

The district wants to repurpose the building as a school again but what kind is still a mystery.  It seems odd for the Board to okay this without knowing the type of school that will be in the building.

According to SPS, the project will include:

• Demolition
• Seismic improvement to the original unreinforced masonry 1908 building;
• An addition of 7,700 square feet on the west side of the property housing a new gymnasium and covered play area;
• Structural, mechanical, electrical, data/telecom, modernization/upgrades; and
  Life safety and sustainability upgrades.
• Portions of the building’s exterior and interior were designated as a Seattle Landmark by the City of Seattle Landmarks Preservation Board in June 2015. Features to be preserved include the site, the exteriors of the 1908 building and 1930 addition, the 1930 meeting room/auditorium, the 1930 library reading rooms, and the halls and stairs of the second and third floors in the 1908 building.

Concerns from district watchdog, Chris Jackins:

• City zoning code would not be met: lot coverage, building height (17% taller), on-street bus loading.
• Loss of 69% of significant trees, and endangering an exceptional tree: Chinese photinia at SE corner.
• Loss of playground space and open space: at least 11% of the playground would be lost, and probably twice that amount.
• Loss of on-site parking: the current 67 on-site spaces would be reduced to 5.
• Historic and Cultural Preservation: the covered play area should not be demolished. The School Board has requested that the State exempt the Seattle School Disctrict from City Landmarks regulation, putting historic features at risk.

Public comments and concerns about the plans are due by 5pm on September 7 and should be sent to SEPAcomments@seattleschools.org or to Pegi McEvoy, pmcevoy@seattleschools.org. 206-252-0707.
The second facilities issue is over what will happen at Fort Lawton. 

I am aware that there is some kind of NIMBY perception about this area but the people I have been talking with DO want/expect more housing and their concern is two-fold.  (Here's a link to their Change.org petition with over 1200 signatures.  You'll note that they just want the EIS to include a possible school, not eliminating any housing possibilities.  There was also a SurveyMonkey survey done of parents in that region about their school choices which has interesting feedback.)

One, the district losing yet another opportunity for free land from the feds. 

Two, that no matter what type of housing goes in, that Magnolia/Queen Anne is continuing to densify and grow and that more schools will be needed.  It is projected that the reopening of the old Magnolia Elementary will see it open full.  The district has even talked about putting on additions at a couple of QA elementaries.  It would seem that the district may need another elementary school sooner rather than later.

In fact, in an August 7, 2017 letter to the City's Office of Housing about this issue, Superintendent Nyland said this:

With current projects scheduled, we could not demonstrate an immediate need.  We just added middle school capacity and have elementary and high school projects underway.  (Editor's note; I'm a bit baffled about those "high school projects" except for BTA ones.)  However, at the rate of growth of SPS enrollment, we could see a need in the very near future.

But the district seems caught up in "immediate" need versus "very near-future" need.   But he goes on:

In summation, SPS is desperately seeking additional land for future school sites.  We recognize the once in a lifetime opportunity obtaining some of the Fort Lawton property provides. 

The letter also states that the district could be a partner in the redevelopment planning process but then goes on to end:

Thus and unfortunately, we cannot meet the criteria you have asked us to respond to.

It's free land.  How the district is going to allow yet ANOTHER opportunity for free land in Seattle to get away from them is a mystery.

As you may recall, the feds have specific rules about giving over buildings/land to various other government entities.  One rule for educational uses is that the building must be in use as an educational institution within three years.  Naturally, that would mean having the dollars to renovate and open in that timeframe.  Does SPS have that?

Probably not all of it but it is quite clear to anyone watching that there are banked dollars in various BEX and BTA funds.  The district routinely digs them out for the projects they want.  I think this a worthy use. 

As well, there is wording in the federal regulations and rules that say that if whoever takes over a federal property does not have it up and rolling within those three years, they can pay a penalty until they do.  Something of a "land-banking" idea. It may be worth knowing just how much that is as compared to the costs of buying land to build on.

And again, where are the good corporate citizens who could help?  I was astonished at the full-court press for the former Federal Reserve building by the Downtown Neighborhood Association and yet not one business stepped up to help the district acquire the land.  I hope this time that doesn't happen.

Some ideas being floated:

A) Mcclure becomes elementary, Blaine middle, new k-8 Blaine campus at Fort Lawton

B) Blaine becomes a high school, McClure an elementary, Ft. Lawton becomes new K-8 bBlaine with a significantly grown middle school program

C) Fort Lawton land could become a 6-12 

SPS has the opportunity to partner with Islandwood and create a world-class environmental learning center.


I believe it would be far cheaper to building a QA/Magnolia high school than a high school at Memorial Stadium.  If the City and the district combined forces, Memorial Stadium could be a real multi-use space with concerts in the summer as well as other sporting events (Ultimate frisbee comes to mind) as well as the district needs throughout the school year.



It is weird that the district is moving forward so quickly with the City around Memorial Stadium and many of us believe this needs real public engagement.

Here's the City's report on the space.

The City needs to include a possibility of a school in any EIS.

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