Waterway No. 1
Waterway No. 1 is a parcel of waterfront property located where Northeast 35th Street meets 43rd Avenue Northeast in Laurelhurst. Long ago it was used as a boat launch for one of Seattle’s mosquito fleet ferries, the Laurelhurst Launch, which shuttled folks from Laurelhurst to Madison Park and back. Now it is a rare and treasured public access point to the waterfront where people can go to observe nature, walk dogs, launch non-motorized boats, and play basketball.
Enhancement Project History
Phase 1: Shoreline
November 2005 involved installation of several large, granite, slip-resistant boulders on the water’s edge to improve safety for access to the water. LCC was assisted by Shane DeWald, SDOT’s landscape architect, and DPD in planning, permitting and installation of this phase.
Phase 2: Basketball Court Replacement
LCC, with the assistance of State Representative Gerry Pollet, and the cooperation of the Seattle Parks and Recreation Department, received approval for implementation of Phase 2 of the project—replacement of the 80-year-old dangerously dilapidated basketball court. This achievement would not have been possible without the contributions of many neighbors. The project was completed in 2014.
Phase 3: Landscape and Vegetation
Michael C. Lee, landscape architect and owner of Colvos Creek Nursery, designed a landscape plan that addresses the safety and access needs of visitors; soil erosion concerns; vegetation that both helps wildlife and beautifies the site. The plan is based upon the concept plan developed as a result of community consensus by SDOT’s landscape architect with input from noted plant expert Arthur Lee Jacobson. The plan also includes design and possible installation of an ADA pathway. LCC received a $25,000 grant from the Neighborhood Park and Street Fund to implement the plan.
Project Documentation
Phase 3
May 2015
Phase 2
no documents available
Phase 1
January 2011
Letters to Derrick Toba, Washington State Department of Natural Resources
December 2010
Letters to Derrick Toba, Washington State Department of Natural Resources
- Maintenance/Activity Report
- Proposed Reauthorization of Waterway Use Permits
May 2010
- Work Party Flyer
- Letter to Michael Houser, State Architectural Historian – Washington Heritage Register Nomination
Letters to Derrick Toba, Washington State Department of Natural Resources
February 2010
August 2008
June 2008
- Public Meeting – Parks and Green Spaces Levy Citizens Advisory Committee
- Letter to Parks and Green Spaces Levy Committee
May 2008
Proposed Right of Entry between DNR and LCC for Waterway No. 1
April 2006
November 2005
- Letter to Christie Santos, Seattle Department of Transportation
- Letter to Kate Lloyd
- Letter to Judith Thornton
September 2005
- Letter to Washington Department of Natural Resources
- Letter to Arthur Lee Jacobsen, Plant and Tree Expert
- Letter to Shane DeWald, Landscape Architect
- Meeting Agenda
- Announcement of Public Meeting
March 2005