The Magnolia Soccer Club is taking a stand in support of the proposed land swap between the Port of Seattle and City of Seattle related to King County?s efforts to find a home for a 1.8 million-gallon combined sewer overflow tank.
Soccer Club president Mark MacGillivray is urging support for option B which he says would provide the opportunity to improve the quality of the U-11 fields at Smith Cove and build an attractive park at the same time. Not surprisingly, his group supports the plan that would retain the soccer fields.
Here is what he tells us via email: ?There are competing views for the future of Smith Cove, some of which eliminate the soccer fields altogether. The Magnolia Soccer Club Board has attended community meetings on this proposal, met with Seattle Parks and the Port of Seattle, and believes strongly that the Magnolia Soccer community needs to support the proposed land swap. The Magnolia Soccer Board is in favor of the land swap because it brings with it the opportunity to improve the quality of the playfields that now exist at Smith Cove. Since these fields would be built over the reservoir, they could be designed and constructed to provide for a more even, better-draining playing surface. In addition, preliminary park plans include beach access, a waterfront walking trail and other amenities on this site. In short, we?d get better soccer fields located in a much more attractive setting. The City?s budget challenges mean there is no opportunity to improve the current soccer fields; the funding for these improvements can only come from the County as a part of the land swap and reservoir project. Even after the swap is made, we?d continue to use the current Smith Cove playfields until the new park is completed (expected to be in 2013).?
To see all four proposals for the site, click here.
Option B takes care of everyone. Play fileds to replace the swamps used now, beach access, and parking. It’s the best option.
I suggest that the land swap is not necessary for the improvement of the soccer fields. Install the King County overflow reservoir on the Parks land with the existing soccer fields, then address the playing surface and drainage issues during the rehabilitation. These soccer fields are unpopular now due to these issues and losing the play space during construction is a small price to pay for better fields with the best view in Seattle.
The tremendous view of Mt. Rainier and Elliott Bay from the Parks parcel is then preserved for everyone. Or is an office building and parking lot really the best use of this space?
Go down and check out the view from the Smith Cove Port park the next time the cruise ships are in. . . the view is very limited.
If the Port was able to build on its current parcel, there would already be a building there. The shoreline setback seriously restricts the usable space on that parcel, so the Park parcel is more desirable to the Port. The Port has all that empty land north of the Magnolia Bridge for buildings.