Thornton Creek Park One Project Report - Gordon Dass Adams

Thornton Creek North Branch flows
through Park One

A long hidden gem in the Thornton Creek Watershed gets some attention. 


Thornton Creek Park # One is one of the most beautiful places in the Thornton Creek Watershed. It is a Seattle City Park that is out of the way, hidden just South of Jackson Park and is a lush creek corridor with incredible wetland and wildlife resources.

Barred Owl at Park One
ph credit - Kelly Dole

Kelly Dole has been a Park Steward for many years with his family. They have done trail improvements and plantings with the help of SPU and Seattle Parks in the past. He and others have reported large fish using this stretch of the creek. A 19" cutthroat trout was reported in this reach a number of years ago.

Kelly Dole - long time Park Steward
ph credit - Janet Way

Gordon Dass Adams is a citizen steward who lives near by. He and other neighbors, spearheaded an effort to improve access to the park, sensitively and carefully remove invasives and enhance the wildlife habitat.  They hired Peggy Gaynor to help design the new improvements. Peg Gaynor has worked on many creek and wetland projects in the watershed including, Meadowbrook Ponds and Wetland, Northgate Daylighting and most recently Cromwell Park wetland restoration in Shoreline.

Gordon Dass Adams sends this report on the current process first posted on the Lake City Blog.

http://www.lakecitylive.net/2011/05/28/update-on-thorton-creek-park-1?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+LakeCityLive-FeaturedStories+%28Lake+City+Live+-+Featured+Stories%29

Results of First Public Planning Meeting

May 22, 2011 — Gordon Dass Adams

April 13th’s Public Planning Meeting attracted about 50 neighbors (45 signed the register).   Design consultant Peggy Gaynor, GAYNOR, Inc., used large format posters to illustrate the history of the land, analysis of the site and background for the planning process. 

Aerial Photos from 1936 to 1974 show the increase in development surrounding the Park.   The current habitat and features map is the result of the March 2011 site survey and mapping effort by GAYNOR, Inc.  This poster of Park photos shows ground-level views in the Park.  The Site Analysis Map marks areas of greatest wildlife use, most disturbance, shade and sun, and forest types.   The forest is threatened by invasive plants. This Urban Forest poster  shows why the City of Seattle is promoting urban forest restoration in this and all parks.

Meeting attendees discussed the Three Goals and Objectives in small table groups.  Summaries of the table discussions are the first part of this Public Comments document.  The main part of the Public Comments document has specific opinions from 30 attendees on the Three Goals and Objectives, and a summary of opinion.

The second Public Meeting will be Tuesday May 31, 2011, same time and place, 6:30PM in the St Matthew Parish Conference Rooms, 1270 NE 127th Street, Seattle 98125