West Seattle Blog… | LOWMAN BEACH: Tennis court replacement could accommodate more than racquet sports

By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog Editor

When the dilapidated dam is removed a Lowman Beach Park, the tennis court located a few steps to the east will also be eliminated.

But a community effort to replace it elsewhere in the park is progressing – and the big question, as discussed at an online meeting Wednesday night, is what exactly that replacement could / should offer – perhaps more so than racquet sports.

More than 40 people attended.

The supporter of the community is Lisa Corbin from Seattle Sports Complex Foundation, a non-profit organization founded three years ago. He said the basic goal is “to keep a racket court in the park.” His organization got a $ 25,000 city grant to design a new courthouse there and they hired HBB for schematic drawing. They work with two city departments, Parks and Neighborhoods.

HBB’s Aaron Luoma, the project manager (and a person from western Seattle), facilitated the meeting. HBB’s Rachel Dotson he is also working on the design. Luoma detailed four objectives of the project:

“We’re not just thinking about tennis, necessarily,” Luoma emphasized. They hope to have a final schematic design by the end of the year, having developed “two or three” concepts and presented them to the community by mid-fall.

Important point: there is still no funding for the full design or development / construction, but this process is a first step towards further grants that could cover those costs.

By context, Parks’ Pamela Kliment presented the latest news on the marine dam removal project: expected to reach full project next month (see the “90% project here); local, state and federal permits are still pending; hope to bid for the project and to begin construction this fall.

Luoma noted that the dam removal plan will lead to daytime lighting of Pelly Creek. He also noted some of the existing park features that need to be taken into consideration: the underground rainwater system, the trees, the swing.

A full-size pitch would be a “snug fit” in the open grassy space they referred to as the “opportunity area”.

The court might have many options – tennis only, pickleball only, combo or one with striping marks to play other games – foursquare, hopscotch, shuffleboard – or one with a “trike track” for small children.

But a near-full-size pitch would invade the existing swing set, Luoma noted. So other amenities could include swings, elsewhere in the park (this was reinforced in the Q / A period, which led to the observation that the current swing area is not ADA accessible anyway).

Q&A / COMMENTS: Several people have inquired about the health of Lowman trees. No official arborist report on this so far, Luoma replied, but added that they have been interviewed for the coastal restoration project and “they look healthy … no significant problems or illnesses that we know of.” Would boules be playable on a court? He probably said no, but it could be something another part of the park was designed for. Could the design retain Lowman’s “rustic” look: wood, gravel? Luoma said they “will continue with that … we definitely want to keep that in mind, if the aesthetics of this park are more natural and rustic”. But the gravel is likely outside, as some surfaces need to be paved for ADA accessibility, he added. And the storage of boards / kayaks? Parks doesn’t have a system for permanent locked storage, but they might consider some sort of temporary storage if there is a demand. Picnic? The beach expanded by the removal of the dam, for starters, will provide more space for this. Also, another question / answer indicated that adding picnic tables would be a possibility. Couldn’t the fields of nearby parks be refurbished instead of building a new one here? Historically there is a lot of community attachment built to have a court in Lowman, but they are open to other feedback. Would putting the field in the “opportunity zone” (which is sloping) require a “serious evaluation”? Maybe, said Luoma.

POLL: Regardless of whether you have been to the meeting or not, you are invited to share ideas and comments via a poll which is now open at this link. It should remain open for about two weeks.

TIME SEQUENCE: The next step is a mid-autumn meeting where the “concepts” will be presented. Since there is no funding yet, there is no timetable for construction; the existing courtyard will be removed along with the dam when the project starts.