Monday, May 9th, was the deadline for this latest round of Neighborhood Matching Fund Small & Simple Grants through the Department of Neighborhood. To our knowledge, there were two grant applications submitted for Wedgwood: 1) for pedestrian improvements around Wedgwood Elementary and 2) design services for as part of park development on the Morningside Substation. Here’s a brief summary of what each grant proposes.
Wedgwood Elementary Children and Neighbors Safety Project (WE CAN Safety Project)
The Wedgwood Elementary PTA applied for a Neighborhood Matching Fund Small and Simple Grant to make traffic safety improvements around the school. If it is funded, the WE CAN Safety Project would build out curbs around the crosswalks on NE 85th Street and in front of the school’s entrance. The lack of sidewalks and curbs around Wedgwood Elementary is one of the factors that inspired the “Complete the Street” project [the #1 ranked project in NE Seattle], which is seeking funding to build a sidewalk network on NE 83rd Street, 28th Avenue NE, and NE 85th Street in front of the school. The WE CAN pedestrian improvements would be the first concrete steps in the larger Complete the Street project. In addition to the physical improvements, the WE CAN Safety Project would involve a redesign of traffic procedures for drop-off and pick up at Wedgwood Elementary, as well as community outreach and education regarding pedestrian and traffic safety. For more information or to be involved in the WE CAN Safety Project, please email » Katie Traverse, WCC Trustee and next years Wedgwood Elementary PTA President.
Wedgwood Deserves A Park (Design Phase)
The Park Committee submitted a Neighborhood Matching Fund Small and Simple Grant to facilitate the design phase of a new park being acquired for Wedgwood at the current location of a surplussed Seattle City Light substation, the Morningside Substation, at the NW corner of 35th Ave NE and NE 86th Street. As part of the grant, the Parks Committee would hire a design firm to guide the community through the development of a park design schematic through community input and develop a cost estimate for construction. It is the hope of the Parks Committee that through this grant, Wegdwood can have a design and cost developed to apply for funding through the next round of Opportunity Funds for park development. For more information or to be involved on the park acquisition process, you can read here or email » Marieke Stientjes Rack.
Wedgwood has recently been fortunate with other grants, which funded the Vision Plan and will be funding a gathering place on the Hunter Tree Farm. Keep your fingers crossed that we’re successful again.