2019 KUBOTA GARDEN MASTER PLAN UPDATE KUBOTA GARDEN 2019 MASTER PLAN UPDATE for Seattle Department of Parks & Recreation A and the Kubota Garden Foundation B C D by Jones & Jones Architects + Landscape Architects + Planners 105 South Main Street, Suite 300 E FG Seattle, Washington 98104 Cover Photo Credits: /VZOPKL>HUaLY A. KGF Photo #339 (1976) B. Jones & Jones (2018) C. Jones & Jones (2018) D. KGF Photo #19 (1959) E. KGF Photo #259 (1962) F. Jones & Jones (2018) G. Jones & Jones (2018) (YJOP[LJ[Z 206 624 5702 www.jonesandjones.com TABLE OF CONTENTS ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS . 4 I. INTRODUCTION. .. .6 VI. PREFERRED CONCEPT . .. .. .. .. ..40 SUPPORT FOR THE MASTER PLAN UPDATE . .5 Need for a Master Plan Update Guiding Principles Garden Mission History: Fujitaro Kubota's Life, Inspiration, and Garden Style History: Setting the Period of Significance II. PLANNING PROCESS . .10 Necklace of Ponds Kyōryoku - Collective Effort Japanese Garden Seeking Input The Mountainside Opportunities & Issues Visitor Experience III. HISTORY OF KUBOTA GARDEN. .12 Visitor Amenities Kubota Family Wayfinding and VisitorC irculation Hierarchy Kubota Gardening Company Visitor Center Post World War II Garden Improvements Transitioning from Garden to Park IV. SITE ANALYSIS. 16 VII. IMPLEMENTATION . 65 Neighborhood Context Phasing & Implementation Visitation Staffing Mapes Creek & Natural Areas Garden Arrival APPENDIX (Separate Document) The Garden Garden History Resources Events & Programming Workshops Summary Maintenance Area Open House(s) Summary V. GARDEN NEED . .36 KGF Visitor Survey Results Circulation SPR Online Survey Results Security Existing Visitor and Parking Characteristics Visitor Center ADA Audit Table for Non-Compliance Visitor Amenities and Accessibility Engaging Audiences in National Parks Report Programming & Events Collections Sustainability Other Recommendations KUBOTA GARDEN | 2019 MASTER PLAN UPDATE 3 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS SEATTLE PARKS & RECREATION KUBOTA GARDEN FOUNDATION (KGF) CONSULTANT TEAM Jesús Aguirre, Superintendent Joy Okazaki, President Jones & Jones Architects & Landscape Architects Andy Sheffer, Director Planning & Development Johnpaul Jones Special thanks to the KGF Board and Garden Committee Members, Robert Stowers, Director Parks Division including: Duane Dietz Jon Jainga, Manager Natural Resources Unit Anyo Domoto Rachael Kitagawa Lisa Chen, Manager Specialty Gardens Allan Kubota Janelle Lotzgesell Karimah Edwards, Senior Capital Planner Ellen Phillips-Angeles Barbara Witt Cheryl Eastberg, Retired Senior Capital Planner Don Shimono Kubota Garden Staff: Hoshide Wanzer Architects Don Brooks, Retired Senior Gardener REGIONAL GARDEN EXPERTISE Bob Hoshide Giles Morrish, Senior Gardener Betsy Anderson, Bellevue Parks Kenji Hoshide Marcia High, Gardener Walt Bubelis, Edmonds College Amir Williams, Gardener Cheryl Ching, Portland Japanese Garden Windsmith Design Cynthia Johnson-Haruyama, Portland Japanese Garden Mark Bourne Special thanks and appreciation to the committed staff from various divisions within Parks and Recreation including the Planning and Nancy Kartes, Bellevue Botanical Garden Development Unit, Events and Scheduling, Natural Resource Unit, Security, Ray Larsen, University of Washington Purcell Planning & Design Green Seattle Partnership and Facilities. Peter Putnicki, Seattle Japanese Garden Beth Purcell Iain Robertson, University of Washington NEIGHBORHOOD RESOURCES Rainier Beach Community Club Rainier Beach Action Coalition Rainier Chamber of Commerce Rainier Valley Historical Society South Seattle Crime Prevention Council Seattle Neighborhood Group South Community Police Team 4 KUBOTA GARDEN | 2019 MASTER PLAN UPDATE SUPPORT FOR THE MASTER PLAN UPDATE ?2CE E E The Kubota Garden exemplifies 60 years of vision, effort and dedication of the Kubota family and 30 years of commitment by the City of Seattle and Kubota Garden Foundation. One of Seattle’s most beautiful and inspiring places, Kubota Garden E"6E&B$+>&%E "7%E9<8?%E>8E 9;&=&7>E >*&E ?#8>"E ";%&7E"=>&;E2"7E 9%">&E *+=E92"7E;&@+=&=E >*&E provides a serene space for stress reduction. Visitors come to walk, commune with 8;+)+7"3E )";%&7E 92"7E>*">EA"=E $;&">&%E "368=>E EC&";=E ")8E *&E 93"7E ;&9;&=&7>=E>*&E$?26,7">+87E nature, meditate, do yoga, take photos, sit, picnic, botanize, or attend events. Because 8'E2&7)>*CE<&=&";$*E ;&(3&$>,87E 87E >*&E8<+)+7"4E @,=+87E8'E?/,>";8E ?#8>"E "7%E68=>E+698;>"7>3CE *8?<=E 8'E&7)")&6&7>EA+>*E$866?7+>CE6&6#&;=E *+=E 9;8/&$>E,=E><?2CE"E@,=+87E>*">E;&'2&$>=E>*&E of Seattle’s booming growth, places like this are in ever-increasing demand. #&"?>CE"7%E)<&">&;E98>&7>,"3E8'E>*+=E?7+:?&E89&7E =9"$&E The Garden is a hidden gem in the diverse, urban neighborhood of Rainier Beach in &)+77+7)E+7E E &">>5&E"<0=E"7%E&$;&">,87=E"/8<E<8/&$>=E *"33&7)&E?7%EE *"=E southeast Seattle. More people are discovering Kubota Garden. Since 2014, visitorship #&&7E'?7%,7)E9;8/&$>=E"7%E=>?%+&=E>8E"==+=>E$866?7+>+&=E"7%E8;)"7+D">+87=E>8E<&78@">&E &B9"7%E 8;E?9);"%&E9";0=E8;E9"<0=E'"$+2+>+&=E*+=E,7,>+">,@&E*"=E&698A&;&%E $866?7+>+&=E>8E ,7+>,">&E has grown by 15% annually. In 2017 more than 77,000 people visited and in 2018 we 9;8/&$>=E >*">E &7"#2&E68;&E 9&892&E >8E*"@&E "$$&==E>8E8?;E 9";0=E"7%E >8E&B9"7%E>*&E3+'&E "7%E reached 97,389 visitors to the Garden! ?="#,2+>CE8'E8?;E'"$+2+>+&=E =E 87&E 8(E>*&E+7"?)?;"2EE 9;8/&$>=E >*&E?#8>"E";%&7E"=>&<E2"7E 9%">&E*"=E9<8@&7E>8E #&E"EA8;>*A*+2&E+7@&=>6&7>E"7%E&B&692+',&=E=E$866->6&7>E >8E This Master Plan Update has been a collective effort of Seattle Parks, Kubota Garden *&"2>*CE9&892&E *&"3>*CE &7@+;876&7>=E "7%E=><87)E$866?7,>+&=E Foundation, and subject matter experts from area gardens – Bloedel Reserve, Bellevue E "6E ,7=9+;&%E#CE?/+>";8=E=>8<CE"7%E*+=E%<+@&E>8E$;&">&E"E #&"?>+'?3E=9"$&E>*">E*878;&%E*,=E Botanical Garden, Portland Japanese Garden – educators from the University of "9"7&=&E;88>=E%&=9+>&E"E$*"23&7)+7)E$2,6">&E?7("6+3+"<E>&<<"+7E"7%E?7+6"),7"#2&E"%@&;=+>CE E Washington, many local community organizations, and people who know and love the "6E >*"70(?2E>*">E;E ?#8>"E78>E 872CE"99;&$+">&%E>*&E@"2?&E8(E93"7>E$?;">+87E"7%E"&=>*&>+$=E garden. Its aim is to honor the legacy left by Fujitaro Kubota, accommodate growing #?>E"2=8E$;&">+7)E=9"$&=E'8;E:?,&>E$87>&692">,87E 8=>E8'E"23E E "6E*?6#2&%E#CE*,=E+7>&7>E>8E A&2$86&E 9&892&E(<86E "23E A"30=E 8'E 3+'&E +7>8E >*+=E ,7$<&%,#2&E )"<%&7 E visitorship, and sustain the garden for generations to come. E $866&7%E>*&E ?#8>"E";%&7E 8?7%">+87E'8<E .7+>+">+7)E>*+=E93"7E?9%">&E E=>"''E(8<E>*&+;E The Kubota Garden Foundation looks forward to a continued partnership with Seattle &B9&<>+=&E"7%E *"<%EA8;1E 87E >*+=E9;8/&$>E"7%E'8;E >*&+;E$87>+7?8?=E&''8;>=E>8E6"+7>"+7E >*&E #&"?>CE Parks and Recreation and the implementation of improvements identified in the 2019 8'E>*&E )";%&7E "7%E>*&E &">>3&E $866?7,>CE'8;E=*"<,7)EC8?;E>*8?)*>=E"7%E=?))&=>+87=E>8E*&39E 683%E >*&E@,=,87E(8<E >*&E )";%&7=E (?>?;& E !8?;E &''8<>=E A+32E &7=?;&E ?#8>"E "<%&7E A+32E ;&6",7E "E Master Plan Update. >;&"=?<&%E %&=>+7">+87E'8<E(?>?;&E)&7&;">+87=E Joy Okazaki President Kubota Garden Foundation KUBOTA GARDEN | 2019 MASTER PLAN UPDATE 5 I. INTRODUCTION NEED FOR A MASTER PLAN UPDATE Kubota Garden is a beloved cultural and historic resource greeting Looking at the future of visitation, a modest 10% annual growth rate The 2019 Kubota Master Plan Update seeks to balance the goals as citizens of the Seattle area and visitors from around the globe. anticipates the Garden’s attendance passing the 200,000 level around set out in the missions of both the Seattle Department of Parks and Developed by Fujitaro Kubota and his family, the property served as 2026. This is in line with the 2016 Seattle Recreation Demand Study that Recreation with those of the Kubota Garden Foundation. their home, nursery, and display gardens for the Kubota Gardening predicts a 118% population increase for the Rainier Beach Residential Seattle Parks and Recreation provides welcoming and safe opportunities Company between 1927 and 1987. Adjacent parcels were purchased Urban Village between 2010 and 2035. Without improvements, to play, learn, contemplate and build community, and promotes as the opportunity arose and by the 1970’s the property was 20 acres in impacts to the visitor experience, garden maintenance, and events responsible stewardship of the land. We promote healthy people, a size, allowing for the expansion of the gardens and nursery areas. will be impeded. Thus, the Master Plan Update seeks to reinforce the importance of Mr. Kubota’s original vision for the Garden. healthy environment, and strong communities. The Core Garden, a 4.5 acre portion containing the bulk of Mr. — Kubota’s designed gardens, was declared a Seattle Landmark in 1981 Jones & Jones Architects & Landscape Architects, Mark Bourne of Windsmith Design, and Hoshide Wanzer Architects were hired in The Kubota Garden Foundation (founded in 1988) is a non-profit and eventually the entire 20 acre site was purchased by the City in corporation that was established to support, enhance, and perpetuate 1987. Management of the gardens and nursery areas became the 2018 to update the 1990 Murase Master Plan. Workshops, public outreach sessions, community surveys, and presentations were held the Kubota Garden within the spirit of Fujitaro Kubota and son Tom responsibility of Seattle Parks and Recreation assisted by the Kubota Kubota.