As previously announced, the Thursday Collection Neighborhoods will receive $50,000 towards a community improvement project. The Thursday collection area includes portions of the following neighborhoods: Montlake, Capitol Hill, Madison Park, Madrona, Madison Valley, and First Hill. For Montlake the area is restricted to the East side of 24th Avenue East. Award money must be spent on capital improvements, not maintenance materials or labor.

The last date for project submission is July 31, 2010. In August CleanScapes will begin the cost estimating process for all of the project proposals and in early Fall the Project Selection Committee will review the eligible projects. The winning project(s) will be announced in October.

The Montlake Community Club has submitted a project to improve the South-East Montlake Gateway Park. The Montlake representative on the Project Selection Committee is Patricia Shannon-Garvey with Janice Rabkin as an alternate.  For further information contact GatewayParks@Montlake.net

The proposal is as follows:

Name: Montlake SE Gateway Park

Location: The SE corner of 24th Ave E and Boyer Ave E marks one entrance to
Montlake, recently designated a “Historic District”.

Description: (size, purpose, use): The Montlake Community Club owns the property that was deeded to it for public/community use. It anchors access to the Arboretum, SR 520, Lake Washington communities, northbound buses and the University of Washington.

Install:
1) A gravel path with steps connecting Boyer Ave E. to the bus shelter on 24th Ave E. – northbound. This would take pedestrians off the busy streets and bypass the
corner where a fatality occurred;
2) A kiosk with illustrations of native plants, birds that use this as a corridor from the Arboretum to Interlaken Park ravine, the sponsor, CleanScapes, reason for the award (recycling), and that we compost all yard waste right on the property and mulch several times a year to reduce water usage. We might add a history of Montlake and photos describing its use overtime – from private, to deeded community/public use, to aesthetic urban green space.

Added value:
Aesthetics-The Montlake Community Club is already working to beautify the site. Volunteers have cleared dead trees and brush, added native plants and mulch, watered plants and weeded the area.
Traffic calming – Improved landscaping and aesthetics is likely to promote traffic calming. Research suggests a correlation between the appearance of a neighborhood and the behavior of drivers.
Safety – On this corner in 2008, there was a pedestrian fatality. There have been numerous bicycle accidents, automobile accidents and pedestrian injuries. A walking path and improved visibility may increase safety and reduce pedestrian injuries.
Access – Street scale improvements promote walking.

Materials Needed: Gravel for path, appropriate material for steps, and wood and
shingles for kiosk.

Estimated Material Cost: approximately $6,000.