Category Archives: Shorelines

Issues involving shorelines, waterways, and street-ends.

WATERWAYS WALK – this Saturday! 10am, May 31st, 2025

Did you know that there are multiple spots in Wallingford where the public has access to Lake Union? Join us for a walk along the lake to learn about Wallingford’s historic connection to Lake Union and ongoing efforts to preserve public shoreline access.

Join us! Bring friends, neighbors, family, etc., wear walking shoes and weather appropriate gear 🙂
When: Saturday, May 31, 2025 | Time: 10:00 A.M.
Where: Meet at the tiled plaza at the Wallingford Steps (above the Burke-Gilman Trail)
Learn More: Wallingford Shoreline Project

Annual Membership Meeting w/ Special Guest Jorge Baron (District 4), Waterways Walk, Gasworks Park News, and Historic Wallingford at Wally-Home Resource Fair

We have an an update that the “Waterways Walk” has been moved to 10:00 am on Saturday, May 31st, 2025. (Corrected below.) 

SAVE THE DATE: Annual Meeting and Officer Elections 2025 on Wednesday, May 14th, 7:00 PM

Elections for the Wallingford Community Council board member positions and our special guest: Jorge Barón, District 4 Representative on the King County Regional Council. 

Wallingford Community Council – General Meeting 
Date & Time: Wednesday, May 14, 2025 | 7:00 PM – 8:30 PM
Check-In: 6:30 PM – 6:55 PM (You must attend in person to vote)
Location: Good Shepherd Center, 4659 Sunnyside Avenue, North Chapel, 4th floor 
Special Guest: Jorge Barón, District 4 Representative on the King County Regional Council  (About Jorge Baron)

We invite you to an evening of learning about interconnections between state, county, and city government. Jorge is one of nine members of the King County Council for the 2024-26 term. D4 includes Belltown to the south, Broadview to the north, and West of I-5 to the water. Jorge follows Jeannie Kohl Welles, who retired two years ago. We are honored to have Jorge as our keynote speaker. Join us!

Agenda:

  • 6:30–6:55 PM: Member Check-In (must attend in person to vote)
  • 7:00 PM: Welcome and Officer Elections
  • 7:20–8:15 PM: Special Guest — Jorge Barón, District 4 Representative on the  Metropolitan King County Council
    8:15 PM: Announcements and Closing Remarks
    8:30 PM: Adjourn

Have a topic or question for Rep. Barón?
Please email pres@wallingfordcc.org by May 12.

Volunteers Needed:
We could use help setting up and putting away chairs before the meeting and leave in place after.. Thank you!

Membership Reminder:
To vote, you must have renewed or joined after November 1, 2024, and no later than April 28, 2025.

Interested in serving on the WCC Board?
Please email communications@wallingfordcc.org with a short description of your interest and neighborhood involvement.

Upcoming Event: Waterways Walk

Join us for a walk to learn about Wallingford’s historic connection to Lake Union and ongoing efforts to preserve public shoreline access.

SAVE THE DATE
When: Saturday, May 31, 2025 | Time: 10:00 A.M.
Where: Meet at the tiled plaza at the Wallingford Steps (above the Burke-Gilman Trail)
Learn More: Wallingford Shoreline Project

Gas Works Park News

The Wallingford Community Council Board recently met with the Assistant Superintendent of Parks to discuss concerns around large private music concerts and events at Gas Works Park. We have been meeting with park managers recently to ask for stricter monitoring of noise amplified at music and athletic events. We have requested better supervision related to traffic safety and congestion, parking management for extremely large private ticketed commercial events, as experienced last summer 2024. Gasworks has not hosted this type or scale of event since 2007. We have requested the Parks administration plan for the availability of on-site management to address problems that arise during these events.

The current schedule for large/major special events at Gasworks in 2025 is:

  • Seattle 4th of July Friday, ( 40 K estimated attendance)
  • Day Trip Concert: Saturday. July 26th (10K estimated attendance)
  • Obliteride: Friday August 8th (concert-3K estimated attendance)
  • Saturday. August 9th ( bike ride-7K estimated attendance)
  • AEG Concert: Saturday, August 30th ( 10K estimated attendance) ** date could be moved to August 23
  • Diplo Mascot Run+ Concert: Saturday, September 27 ( 8K estimated attendance)


Historic Wallingford Sponsors a Wally-Home Resource Fair at Wallingford Center 

When: Saturday, May 31, 2025, 10 AM-3 PM, free
Where: Wallingford Center, 1815 N. 45th Street
Learn more: https://www.historicwallingford.org/2025-home-fair/

Thank You

The next several months will be critical for shaping Wallingford’s future. We encourage residents to get involved! Please visit https://wallingfordcc.org/contact to send us your information. We will follow up with ways to get involved.

Monthly Meeting – October 2024

Regarding: October Meeting on Ballot Prop 1 Transportation Levy featuring SDOT (plus Property Taxes, Zoning Changes, Lincoln Athletic Field, Waterway 20, etc.)

We have several important updates and events coming up that we want to share with you, including a upcoming live discussion on Ballot Proposition 1 Transportation Levy to “Move Seattle” with SDOT at our next WCC meeting on Thursday 10/17 at 7:00. See more details below. 

Our live meetings are valuable opportunities to engage with issues that will directly impact our neighborhood and city. Please mark your calendars and join us in shaping the future of Wallingford!

1.) This Week! Save the Date! October WCC Meeting (Thursday 10/17 at 7PM) 

Date: Thursday, October 17
Time: 7:00 PM – 9:00 PM

Location: Senior Center, Suite 140, Good Shepherd, 4649 Sunnyside Ave.
(Note: This event will not be live-streamed.)

Key Topic: Ballot Proposition 1 Transportation Levy to “Move Seattle”

Speakers from the Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT), Meghan Shepard or Dan Anderson, will provide insights on the proposed $1.5 billion levy. They will cover planned improvements and what it means for your taxes. 

Seattle voters will decide on the biggest transportation levy in Seattle’s history, impacting property owners, renters and businesses. “Property owners would pay a rate of $.65 cents for every $1,000 of assessed value”. The owner of a median priced home assessed at $804,000 would pay an estimated $520 a year or about $230.00 more than they pay now through 2032. This levy is 75% larger than the previous levy passed in 2016.  

Why Attend?

  • Understand the specific transportation initiatives the levy supports.
  • Learn how much the levy will cost Seattle residents and businesses.

Key Actions

  • Register to Vote! Your vote is your voice! Be registered to vote and informed on upcoming ballot initiatives impacting our neighborhoods.
  • Voting Deadline: Ballots must be returned by Tuesday, November 5, by 8 PM. You can also vote in person on Election Day.

Additional Resources for Pre/Review

2.) Wallingford Transportation News

Wallingford Healthy Streets has transitioned from a temporary to a permanent fixture, expanding the route under SDOT’s “Safe Routes to Schools” program.

3.) 9/25 WCC Meeting Presentation (recap) with King County Tax Assessor, John Wilson. (Highlights in case you missed the September meeting.)

Take advantage of the most recent senior exemption program for tax relief to reduce your property taxes if your income was $84,000 or below in 2023 and you are at least 62 years of age. See details of applying for property tax relief at their website

Co-presenter, Jeff Darrow, Residential Division Director notes: Property tax revenue collected recently comes primarily from residential properties at about 80% of total revenue with only about 20% of total revenue coming from commercial properties. The drop in revenue from commercial properties was explained as the large numbers of commercial buildings sitting unoccupied.

4) Zoning Changes: HB 1110 “Middle Housing” Bill impacts for Seattle 

With the passage of  HB1110 “Middle Housing” bill in the 2023 legislative session, the City of Seattle is now required to allow at least 4 units on all residential lots, and at least 6 units on lots located within a quarter mile of a “major transit stop” or where at least two units are “affordable housing.”  These changes are anticipated to have a positive impact on property values, potentially leading to increased property tax assessments in accordance with the “highest and best use” principle.

It is important to note that legislators in Olympia are currently considering a proposal to raise the cap on property taxes to 3% and that the current 1% cap on annual property tax increases does not extend to levies that have been approved through a voter referendum.

More info and articles on HB1110

5) Update on Public Access to Waterway 20

When Waterway 20, adjacent to the harbor patrol docks and Gas Works Park, was unlawfully fenced off from public use by the harbor patrol more than a decade ago, the Wallingford Community Council (WCC) formally submitted an application to the state authorities to reinstate this neighborhood public access to Lake Union. 

The state’s Department of Natural Resources (DNR) determined that the site had been contaminated by hazardous toxins, partially as a result of materials stored on the site by the harbor patrol. Comprehensive studies conducted to assess contamination levels and effective remediation strategies are finally nearing completion and, although the DNR is prepared to engage in discussions on a timeline for reinstating public access, the city of Seattle is now expressing resistance to the reopening. 

Join the WCC Shoreline Committee to be actively involved in restoring public access to Lake Union and protecting our shoreline habitats.

6) Lincoln Athletic Field (Seattle Public Schools / Wallingford Park, Meridian Park, etc.) 

Seattle Public Schools (SPS) is seeking community feedback on the proposed site for a new athletic field to serve Lincoln High School and Hamilton Middle School. The need for this field has become urgent with the planned demolition of Memorial Stadium, where Lincoln’s football team practices and plays and long daily commutes for student athletes to practice on other fields. 

Funds for the Lincoln field are earmarked in the 2022 Building, Technology, Academics, and Athletics (BTA V) Capital Levy, supported by property taxes. SPS notes that it has “not made a final decision” on the location, and community engagement is critical as the project moves forward.

At a public meeting on September 19th, SPS focused on three possible locations: Wallingford Playfield, Meridian Park, and Queen Anne Bowl. Wallingford Playfield is a leading contender due to its proximity to both schools. Two potential field layouts at Wallingford Playfield were discussed, both requiring the relocation of the playground and possibly the wading pool. The proposed field would feature synthetic turf and LED lighting, but concerns remain about green space access, shared community use, mature tree removal, parking, and traffic.  

Another option being not presented at the meeting but being circulated in the community is restoring the practice field to its original location on the north side of the school, necessitating relocation of the current staff parking lot or lidding the lot with an elevated field. 

Wallyhood.org has recently summarized the issue in this article

Action Needed:

Wallingford Waterway Walk and Tour, 2023

This Saturday! 10AM

Join us and learn about the connection between the neighborhood and Lake Union, along with past and presents efforts to preserve our many public access points to Lake Union.

Saturday, June 10th, 10am, Rain or Shine! 
Location Update!  Meet at Waterway 15, on the western side of Ivar’s, and the walk will leave from there.  Plan on about an hour or two, ending at Stone Way. All are welcome.

To read more about the Wallingford Shoreline, click here:  https://www.wallingfordcc.org/shorelines/