One of the main routes from Sunset Hill to Seaview Avenue is down NW 61st St. The median on NW 36th St between NW 60th and NW 62nd is overgrown and unsightly. Once you turn onto NW 61st it doesn’t get much better.
The median along 36th Ave NW between NW 60th and NW 62nd Street
One group of neighbors is asking the Department of Neighborhoods for a Small & Simple Grant to make this stretch of Seattle Department of Transportation property a little nicer.
Looking up 38th Ave NW where it turns into NW 61st Street
At the most recent Ballard District Council meeting, the neighbors introduced their plan.
From the proposal:
Money from the DON grant would be used to hire a landscape architect who would, with extensive community input, create a plan to:
Lower or even eliminate the need for SDOT to maintain the area by planting drought tolerant, low growing native plants. The private property owners would also have lower maintenance if they followed our plan. Make improvements to the crossing of 36th Ave NW on the south side of NW 62nd St which currently has poor sight lines, an undefined pedestrian refuge at the median and no accommodations for ADA accessibility. Improve visibility along the route by removing invasive plants – some of which are very large. This would result in it being a safer and more welcoming passage. Increase walking traffic and, at the very least, the pleasures of walking Continue existing improvements completed by the city from the Locks to Golden Gardens and beautify the area while eliminating the last unimproved passage that connects the Sunset Hill and Shilshole communities.
The neighbors plan on talking with schools and community colleges that have horticulture or landscape programs. “The Gateway Project needs their volunteer efforts while providing them with community service hours and learning opportunities,” states the flyer from the BDC meeting.
![](https://www.myballard.com/wp-content/uploads/2024-My-Ballard-Tile-Ad-Troop-100.png")
Great idea – The hill/refrigerator dump/teen drinking area just over the overpass on 57th could really use some bright ideas as well!!
Well I hope the neighbors find out which of their neighbors dumped a load of synthetic gray boards in the median along 36th about 2-3 years ago! There are still some of them left! I salvaged quite a few of them for a project I had and so did one of my neighbors but whoever dumped them should have got a $500 fine.
Put that 20k towards schools please. I dont’ see the point in putting money here in an area that doesn’t get a lot of traffic and doesn’t serve a lot of people. I used to drive it every day, so am not speaking from some ivory tower. Could it stand a facelift? Sure…but don’t we have more important things going on than this backstreet?
I retract my previous statement and chime in with you — but I don’t know if the funds can be moved around — it seems like they only get moved away from schools toward roads
How about have SDOT slope mow it more than once a year…seems cheaper. Otherwise, neighbors will be forever weeding here.
This strip does get mowed for the last 15 years that I have walked past it. Sometime during the year it gets cut.
Can we just build a couple condos on it instead?
This is a Dept of Nieghborhoods grant not School money-probably a little stimulas money thrown in.
There are lot of people who use 38th Pl/61st and 37th Pl to get to the trail. Good idea to improve.
There are drainage problems where 37th Pl, 38th Pl, and Seaview meet the RR tracks. Also LOTS of accidents on the Seaview curve & RR Tracks
Any of those planks left?
I saw those and thought someone was storing,
Is there a contact person for this project? I run this stretch of road/sidewalk at least 1-2x a week and would be glad to volunteer and help with whatever manpower might be needed. Thank you to those who are leading the effort with the city.
Jeremy, thanks for the offer to help – the contact person for the grant is Candace Jarrett, cdjarrett@comcast.net.
SDOT does mow the perimeter of the median occassionally, but in between mowings the grass and weeds grow tall enough to create dangerous blind curves. And other parts of this heavily used corridor get so overgrown at times that the 6′ sidewalk gets reduced to a single file path. Better landscaping could improve safety AND reduce maintenance.
And yes, this is a Dept. of Neighborhoods grant request, so it’s not taking money from schools or other programs. Anyone who has a good idea for a school-related Neighborhood Matching Fund request is encouraged to apply.
Only if the businesses on ground level are nail salons, tanning salons or dry cleaners.