New playground for Ballard Commons and Leary Triangle improvements part of next year’s D6 budget

Several neighborhood improvement projects are in the works for District 6 in 2022, including a new playground for Ballard Commons Park, significant cleaning and remediation for Leary Triangle, and street lights for NW 48th St.

District 6 Councilmember Dan Strauss outlined his 2022 budget in a newsletter to constituents, describing several neighborhood investments that span from parks projects to public art and public infrastructure improvements.

Here are District 6 investments included for 2022:

Ballard Commons Playground: Strauss has secured $1 million to install a new playground at Ballard Commons Park. As we reported earlier this month, Ballard Commons will be fenced off for up to a year to allow for vegetation remediation, cleaning, and the installation of the new playground.

Ballard Avenue Design: Strauss will continue his work to turn Ballard Ave into a permanent cafe street with an additional $270,000 allocated to allow the Seattle Department of Transportation to reach a 30% design on upgrades to the street.

Leary Triangle: The 2022 budget includes $100,000 to make capital improvements to the Leary Triangle. Strauss had tried to secure $430,000 to turn the triangle into a dog park and food-truck corral, but his amendment wasn’t included in next year’s budget.

Street Lights on NW 48th Street: Strauss secured $160,000 to install street lights on NW 48th Street between 6th and 8th Avenues NW. The project was initially suggested by a D6 resident who said their block is currently lacking lights. The alleyways to the north and south of NW 48th St will also receive new lights.

Supporting Museums: The budget includes an amendment to allocate $1 million to provide financial assistance to museums, such as the National Nordic Museum, that were impacted by the pandemic and were not eligible for federal aid. (The Nordic was not eligible for the Shuttered Venue Operator Grants program because they lacked fixed-seat theaters.)

Phinney Neighborhood Association Hot Meals: The budget includes $90,000 for the Phinney Neighborhood Association to expand their hot meals program and provide more services to participants.

Vehicle Residency Outreach and Safe Lot Expansion:  Strauss secured a total of $185,000 to hire an additional manager and expand services for the Vehicle Residency Outreach Team, which works with people living in vehicles to connect them to services and operates safe lots for parking off the street.

63rd Street Underpass Mural: The budget also allocates $50,000 to restore and replace the mural located under the Aurora Avenue underpass on 63rd Street where Green Lake meets Phinney Ridge.

“From homelessness to housing affordability to community safety, so many of the issues we face as a city are felt acutely in our neighborhoods. While every one of my amendments will help District 6 and all of Seattle, these amendments make a concrete, direct investment in our community,” Strauss wrote.

The above amendments are part of 24 total amendments that Strauss passed in this budget cycle; you can review the other amendments here.