The Port of Seattle and the City of Seattle are discussing a possible land exchange and creation of a new waterfront park in the Smith Cove area. Those discussions could result in a relocated city park and
playfield with expanded shoreline access.
This is needed due to King County’s efforts to find a home for a 1.8 million-gallon combined sewer overflow tank.
The county is currently looking to identify potential locations for the tank and one potential location is in Smith Cove, just south of the Magnolia Bridge. The Port of Seattle owns the parcel of land across from the cruise ship terminals currently being used for tenant storage. To the west of that parcel is land owned by the city that is used for the Smith Cove play field.
King County proposes to design and build an underground diversion structure and tank to store peak flows during large storm events. A diversion structure at 32nd Avenue West will transfer flows through a gravity sewer line in the right-of-way to an underground storage tank located in the Smith Cove Park/Port of Seattle West Yard area. After storms have passed, in-tank pumps and force main will send flows back to West Point Treatment Plant in Discovery Park. No treatment facilities will be built at the project site.
The public is invited to provide input in a meeting on March 3 from 6:30-8:30 pm at the Magnolia Community Center at the Catherine Blaine Cafeteria (2550 34th Ave West).
What is up with the single house that’s right under the hill that you can only access via the road under the bridge?
Ms. Country,
You must be new…so let me fill you in; the entire area on both sides of the Magnolia Bridge was a Naval Supply Depot from around 1939 to 1971 or there about. It was a very large base, with warehouses, barracks, mess halls, brig, recreation buildings, etc. Almost all of it is now gone, the house you speak of is locally called “The Admirals House” all though the official name is “Quarters A”. (there was a Quarters B, just before Quarters A, but it got taken out in a land slide back in the mid to late 90s.)
Quarters A is scheduled to be sold to the public when the market improves. It has not been used by the Navy for some time now. It was last used by the Navy Region NW admiral up until around 9/11, or there about…but has since been relocated over at Bremerton or Bangor. Before it sort of made sense to still use this house, since it was central to the various Navy facilities (Whidbey and Everett to the North and Bremeton, Key Port and Bangor to the West, and Sand Point and Reserve here in Seattle, but now that Sand Point is closed, as is the Navy Reserve on Lake Union, there is nothing in the Seattle area.
If you drive over just North of Whole Foods on 15th NW, you will find a few vestiges of the recreation facilities…there is still a gym and indoor swimming pool. The gym is still in use, but the pool is covered and now used by a furniture manufacturer.
It’s really a shame that Magnolia is surrounded by water with no public waterfront access, no beach club or access. Very few can negotiate over tons of crushed boulders to enjoy the beach at Smith Cove. We’re not allowed to drive down to the beach or lighthouse at Discovery Park due to the treatment plant. Whoever the planners were for Magnolia a long time ago really missed the opportunity for this place to be great. The access road to Smith Cove should definitely be reopened to Magnolia traffic as we now literally have to leave Magnolia to get back to our only beach accessible by car. The marina locks people out and a few meager street ends make for lousy (and dirty) beaches. Come on folks…can’t we come up with a plan to access our waterfront in several places and make it beautiful!
Boat launch! Parking for trailers could be at the marina but generally very limited.
Thanks for letting us know about this meeting.
Smith Cove is a new issue for me but has a long history. I attended the meeting regarding the land swap between the Port and the Parks department and the mandated CSO by King County. There is an option that I did not know about until I attended the meeting: both parcels could become a dynamite shoreline park for the people of Seattle. The Port can build and develop north of the Magnolia Bridge in the huge Pier 91 area. To allow a swap that would give the Port land that could be developed or sold is wrong. The Port and the Parks agencies ultimately work for us. The people want a park, recreation, shoreline access, etc., on those two parcels not a parking lot with the best view in Seattle. Establishing a shoreline park there by whatever means would be a huge public relations plus for all involved.
Smith Cove is a new issue for me but has a long history. I attended the meeting regarding the land swap between the Port and the Parks department and the mandated CSO by King County. There is an option that I did not know about until I attended the meeting: both parcels could become a dynamite shoreline park for the people of Seattle. The Port can build and develop north of the Magnolia Bridge in the huge Pier 91 area. To allow a swap that would give the Port land that could be developed or sold is wrong. The Port and the Parks agencies ultimately work for us. The people want a park, recreation, shoreline access, etc., on those two parcels not a parking lot with the best view in Seattle. Establishing a shoreline park there by whatever means would be a huge public relations plus for all involved.