SEATTLE PARK DISTRICT 2Ä2CVEJ 4GLWXGPCVKQP +PKVKCVKXG2NCP SEATTLE PARKS AND RECREATION %QXGT2JQVQ2KECTFQ(CTO5GCVVNGUHKTUV2Ä2CVEJDWKNVKP #EMPQYNGFIOGPVU OWNER Seattle Parks and Recreation Jesús Aguirre, Superintendent Kathleen Conner Pamela Kliment STAKEHOLDERS Seattle Department of Neighborhoods Kathy Nyland, Director Julie Bryan Kenya Fredie Karen Gordon Vanesa Gutierrez Marsha Holbrook Rich Macdonald Sandy Pernitz Lisa Uemoto Bunly Yun P-Patch Garden Leadership Team members P-Patch Gardeners FUTURE PARTNERS Seattle City Light Seattle Department of Transportation Seattle Public Utilities CONSULTANT TEAM Barker Landscape Architects, P.S. John Barker, Nicolas Morin, Brenda Snyder, Jessi Barnes, Peter Cromwell Mountains to Sound GIS Matt Dressler Karen Braitmayer, FAIA Karen Braitmayer, Ronda King 5GCVVNG2CTM&KUVTKEV2Ä2CVEJ4GLWXGPCVKQP+PKVKCVKXG2NCP/C[^ 6CDNGQH%QPVGPVU Acknowledgments 3 Executive Summary 7 Chapter 1: Rejuvenation Plan 9 Introduction 10 Guiding Policies 12 Project Methodology 14 Chapter 2: Review of Existing Data & Development of Assessment Matrix 17 Review of Existing Data & Development of Assessment Matrix 18 Site Evaluations & Community Engagement 24 Chapter 3: Top Ten Site Selection 27 Top Ten Site Selection 28 Estelle Street P-Patch 30 New Holly Power Garden 32 Angel Morgan P-Patch 34 Th istle P-Patch 36 Squire Park P-Patch 38 Hawkins P-Patch 40 Th omas St. Gardens P-Patch 42 ^5GCVVNG2CTM&KUVTKEV2Ä2CVEJ4GLWXGPCVKQP+PKVKCVKXG2NCP/C[ Jackson Park P-Patch 44 Ravenna P-Patch 46 Evanston P-Patch 48 Chapter 4: Top Five Site Selections & Schematic Designs 51 Estelle Street P-Patch 52 Jackson Park P-Patch 54 New Holly Power Garden 56 Squire Park P-Patch 58 Th omas Street P-Patch 60 Chapter 5: Conclusions, Summary of Findings & Next Steps 63 Appendix A: Assessment Matrix 66 Appendix B: Project Map 76 Appendix C: Survey Results 79 Appendix D: Site Evaluation Sheets 93 5GCVVNG2CTM&KUVTKEV2Ä2CVEJ4GLWXGPCVKQP+PKVKCVKXG2NCP/C[^ 'ZGEWVKXG5WOOCT[ The internationally recognized P-Patch Community database to provide a systematic tool for prioritizing Gardening Program at the Seattle Department of improvements, an evaluation process to rate the level Neighborhoods is well established. The oldest gardens of need for each garden and early schematic designs were built in the seventies, and there are currently more for the fi rst round of garden upgrades. under construction. The opportunity to participate in community gardening is available to residents in The results of this effort are an updated inventory of all city neighborhoods with approximately 88 sites all Seattle P-Patches, a matrix to serve as a reference located in a variety of settings. The gardens range in for future efforts, and various details and methods size and amenities. All provide for basic gardening for retrofi tting a range of gardens with updated needs, and many extend beyond that with resources infrastructure and improved accessibility. for education, community building, and providing produce for local food banks. Recent approval of the Seattle Park District provides funding to repair and update infrastructure and improve accessibility at P-Patch sites. This document, along with associated inventory, evaluation, and planning efforts, is intended to help prioritize where best to apply Seattle Park District funds for the purpose of renovating Seattle’s P-Patches on city-owned lands. This project will provide an updated review of all P-Patch sites for the purposes of developing a management tool to guide future improvements and implement standards in all of the gardens regardless of land ownership. The gardens are as varied and diverse as the city itself. Sites present a range of challenges and opportunities. Although some gardens were built by professional contractors, the vast majority are designed and established by grassroots efforts. Virtually all maintenance is handled by the gardeners themselves. This project follows a methodology of gathering all existing resources and data for the gardens into a comprehensive database. The team then refi ned the 5GCVVNG2CTM&KUVTKEV2Ä2CVEJ4GLWXGPCVKQP+PKVKCVKXG2NCP/C[^ 2JQVQ$TCFPGT)CTFGPU CHAPTER 1 4GLWXGPCVKQP 2NCP %JCRVGT 5GCVVNG2CTM&KUVTKEV2Ä2CVEJ4GLWXGPCVKQP+PKVKCVKXG2NCP/C[^ +PVTQFWEVKQP In 2014, Seattle voters approved the Seattle Park District, which provides funding to perform major maintenance improvements in P-Patches. Seattle has approximately eighty-eight (88) P-Patch community gardens located throughout the city on Park, City Light, Public Utility and private property. This report assesses the condition of P-Patch community gardens within the city, identifi es major maintenance needs and prioritizes P-Patch sites to be renovated. Infrastructure repairs are high priorities. This program is intended to satisfy the Park District Investment Initiative 2.6: Fund the renewal of existing P-Patch gardens, update aging garden infrastructure, increase accessibility, and expand essential services. This initiative fosters community building and recognizes both the importance of P-Patches as community spaces and the support needed to sustain them for everyone, including under-served and under-represented communities. The purpose of this study is to identify major maintenance needs and prioritize the P-Patch sites to be renovated from 2016 to 2021. In addition, a complete scope and budget has been developed for selected, highest priority projects, and schematic designs have been developed for the top fi ve P-Patches that will undergo renovation projects this year. This document will also function as a framework for a regular cycle of asset management at city-owned P-Patches. ^5GCVVNG2CTM&KUVTKEV2Ä2CVEJ4GLWXGPCVKQP+PKVKCVKXG2NCP/C[ %JCRVGT )WKFKPI2QNKEKGU The methodology for this project was shaped by SEATTLE P-PATCH PROGRAM GOALS several city and federal policies that help in meeting the city’s goals for the P-Patch program and of • Growing community racial and cultural inclusion. The initial, broad • Nurturing civic engagement analysis efforts include a study of race and income demographics at a neighborhood scale to identify • Practicing organic gardening techniques P-Patches in under-served communities. Many of the • Fostering an environmental ethic and gardens that were determined to have the highest need connecting nature to people’s lives for improvement were located in areas of the city with high immigrant populations, limited English speaking • Improving access to local, organic and community members and /or low to median income culturally appropriate food levels. During the schematic design process for the • Transforming the appearance and top sites, the Department of Neighborhoods P-Patch revitalizing the spirit of P-Patch staff members organized meetings with interpreters neighborhoods present with individual garden groups to help gather feedback that could not be captured otherwise and to • Developing self-reliance and improving help prioritize improvements within each garden. All nutrition through education and hands-on suggested improvements follow P-Patch standards experience and help to provide better access to this city program. • Feeding the hungry PROJECT GOALS • Preserving heirloom fl owers, herbs and vegetables • Rejuvenate all P-Patches to meet minimum • Fostering understanding between P-Patch standards and the program’s generations and cultures through gardening accessibility standards where possible. and cooking • Prioritize sites with low capacity that are POLICIES in neighborhoods with high populations of low-income households, youth, seniors, • Americans with Disabilities Act immigrants, refugees and people of color. • Seattle Parks and Recreation and • Generate an updated, accessible database to Department of Neighborhoods P-Patch help guide future maintenance. program construction standards • Provide recommendations on maintenance • City of Seattle Inclusive Outreach & projects at each site. Public Engagement Policy - This policy is • Describe and score each site. designed to increase access to information, ^5GCVVNG2CTM&KUVTKEV2Ä2CVEJ4GLWXGPCVKQP+PKVKCVKXG2NCP/C[ %JCRVGT resources and civic processes by people of color, immigrant and refugee communities through the implementation of racially and culturally inclusive outreach and public engagement processes. It acknowledges the challenges that people of color, immigrant and refugee communities experience in accessing City government and participating in public process, and it affi rms that a healthy democracy requires outreach and public engagement that takes into account our community’s racial, cultural and socio-economic complexity. The Race and Social Justice Initiative (RSJI) Toolkit was used to facilitate this endeavor. • Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CPTED) - Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CPTED, pronounced “sep-ted”) seeks to deter criminal behavior through design of the built environment. Proper design, use and management of the built environment can lead to reductions in the incidence and fear of crime, while improving Seattle Park District community vitality and overall quality of life. These design principles stem from the traditional “eyes on the street” concept, which holds that urban areas are safer when more people are present. %JCRVGT 5GCVVNG2CTM&KUVTKEV2Ä2CVEJ4GLWXGPCVKQP+PKVKCVKXG2NCP/C[^ 2TQLGEV/GVJQFQNQI[ REVIEW OF EXISTING DATA & CREATION A fi eld evaluation form was generated for site visits, OF AN ASSESSMENT MATRIX and a team member visited and evaluated each garden. Team members used