Important Meeting Tomorrow For Lincoln High School to Get a Field

Update:

Between a couple of Wallingford community groups, I have gotten a better understanding of the issues around changing their park. It's interesting because Hamilton International Middle School and Lincoln High School bookend the park. My mother-in-law used to live directly across the street from the park.

I can see why the neighborhood fought it off (and why they seem to have won because of legal issues).

The Wallingford Community Council is reminding its members about the meeting tomorrow so the meeting is likely to be both full and loud. What's great is that there is a site from the Friends of Lower Woodland Park that explains the options for Lower Woodland Park. I think Option A is horrific and if you look at their map overlays, you can see why.

Option C looks the best but SPS is saying it's the most expensive (which is what they say when they don't want to do something.). Basically it would be a hybrid soccer/football field near the corner of 50th and Aurora.

However, those who truly know and use this park understand the stakes: Option A will compromise the historic Olmsted design and degrade the park’s integrity for the next half-century. Under this plan, the eastern side of the park will become a congested, single-use facility that excludes the general public, while the western side remains a neglected area prone to encampments.

Option A, meanwhile, removes 7 to 9 historic European Linden trees that were planted at the Olmsted brother's direction in 1910.

Reading on, this site has a great timeline of how we got here. Apparently, the Parks Department is actually listening to the general public since it doesn't look like SPS will. Here's how the timeline section ends:

We all want a field at LWP and all are frustrated with this process; the question is what’s the right field location for the next 50+ years of increased density and use of this park?

And know who got us all here? Seattle Schools who seemingly crossed their fingers on figuring out a field situation for LHS and that somehow they would eventually get their way without concerning themselves with neighbors. 

end of update

I find all of this rather baffling. I recall this being an issue when Lincoln HS was reopened several years back. I do have to wonder why it feels like this is being slow-walked by SPS and Seattle Parks and Recreation. 

Lincoln High parents and supporters have now gotten this meeting with the district.

Saturday, April 25th 10am-11:30am

Hamilton Middle School

At the meeting, SPS Capital Projects Executive Director, Richard Best, and the Lincoln Project Team will review the latest information on the project to build a new synthetic athletic field for Lincoln High School students and the community. 

SPS will share the evaluation of the final two options: 

• Lower Woodland Field #2 

• N. 50th Street and Aurora Ave. N. (currently overflow parking) (There are two options, A and B.)

After the meeting, SPS will consult with Seattle Parks & Recreation to make the final selection. 

SPS will post the latest questions with answers on the project website before the meeting. Please feel free to share the information about the meeting.

You can also watch at live stream of the presentation on SPSTV. 

(Visit www.seattleschools.org/lincoln-field for streaming information.)

This live-streaming seems unusual for a school meeting. Hmmm.

Parents claim that Superintendent Ben Shuldiner and the interim Superintendent of Parks, Michele Finnegan "need to stop pointing fingers at each other for delays and they need to keep this project moving."

Well, Shuldiner just got here so there's that. 

 

From an earlier Facebook post at the Build Lincoln Field page:

Superintendent Ben Shuldiner—a key decision-maker—is not planning to attend. According to project leadership, Shuldiner has directed staff to “make the emails stop flooding my inbox.”

No idea who could have told this group what Shuldiner said - their principal? I doubt it.

But now Shuldiner has said he WILL be in attendance.

Parents also claim:

Fear of litigation and the desire to appease all stakeholders has resulted in decision paralysis and stalled progress.

Again, who told them that?

BTA V says: 

Lincoln - Develop new athletic field with synthetic turf and track, $5M

The project falls between Seattle Parks & Recreation and Seattle Public Schools —the first owns the land, the other runs the project. 

The district has a whole webpage on the journey to figure this out. The district even has a Project Team, complete with a design and engineering firm.

A siting study was started in Fall 2025. I'm unsure where that went.

It appears the original thought was to take space from the nearby Wallingford Park so that Lincoln would at least have a practice field with a track (as do a couple of other high schools like Roosevelt HS). That seems to have stalled out.

Why do these kids have to be bused everywhere for their sports? There's a cost to all that busing.

Lincoln athletes also navigate seasons without:
◦ Dedicated locker rooms
◦ An equipment room
◦ An onsite trainer’s office
◦ A true home field advantage
Lincoln is the only high school in Seattle without its own dedicated field and track. That is an equity issue, plain and simple.

More information, including student stories and correspondence with district leadership, is available at: BuildLincolnField.com