Here's a way you can help

King County is planning to give the Lake Washington Youth Soccer Association (LWYSA) a long term concession agreement for 60 Acres South. What this means is that the LWYSA will exclusively manage the field and collect revenue from its use. They plan to put a parking lot on the tall grass wetland area on the east side of the field. King County has advised us that the LWYSA will be permitted to rent the field to whomever they wish at thier discretion. Why a "concession agreement"? Well, that's because a lease would be illegal. So how is this "concession agreement" different from a "lease"? Good question. This deal walks, talks and works like a lease as far as we citizens are concerned. The use of a concession agreement is a clever technical tactic King County is using to abide by the letter of the law, while avoiding its intent.

We need as many of you as possible to send email to the King County Council and tell them what you think of a public park being given over to a private organization for their sole benefit and enrichment.

Let's make this easy. Here are the relevant email addresses of your King County Council representatives, along with the Parks officials and Ron Sims himself. Simply copy and paste these into the To: line of your email and type away. Let your elected officials know that you won't stand by while they perpetrate this egregious injustice.

Here are the email addresses:
Jennifer.Broadus@metrokc.gov, Pete.vonReichbauer@METROKC.GOV, Bob.Ferguson@METROKC.GOV, Dow.Constantine@METROKC.GOV, Jane.Hague@METROKC.GOV, Julia.Patterson@METROKC.GOV, Kathy.Lambert@METROKC.GOV, Larry.Gossett@METROKC.GOV, Larry.Phillips@METROKC.GOV, Reagan.Dunn@METROKC.GOV, Bob.Burns@METROKC.GOV, Pam.Bissonnette@METROKC.GOV, Cindy.Cawaling@METROKC.GOV, Exec.Sims@METROKC.GOV

Comments

[Brian Kopke]

Taking the available facts into consideration and applying a little math leads me to believe that soccer players in King Co. have more than an adequate number of fields at their disposal:

approx. 6,500 members
a minimum of 11 players per team
two teams per match
equals about 300 fields required if every team participated in a match on the same day at the same time.

According to a pevious post there are 1000+ soccer fields available in King County. It sounds to me like some of these facilities (about 700) are surplus and could be converted back to general use without a problem...??

Brian Kopke
Louisville Area Soaring Society

(OK so I'm biased)

[Scott Odle]

Thank you, Mr. White, for perfectly stating the attitude of LWYSA! Well said. LWYSA has complete tunnel vision to THEIR mission, to THEIR needs, to THEIR wants. This is NOT for the bennefit of King County residents.

This is like a small child who wants some other child's toy. They are throwing a fit, trying to manipulate and steal.

LWYSA - if you need more space, EARN IT! Sell your land you own, and go by more elsewhere. Have some courage to do the right thing, not the self serving thing.

[Tim Tull]

Forward Thrust was made with this exact scenario in mind - to create legal protection for this kind of very rare recreational space for the activities that we currently enjoy on it. The LWSYA is strictly bullying their way with the help of politicians willfully acting against the intent of law. Since the law is clearly inconvenient for them, they employ clever language and slimy maneuvering to get their way. Remember when these same politicians tried to turn our field into a sewage plant with the same sort of tactics? Help protect the field - please write the officials above.

[Sheman E. Lillie]

I think what King County is trying to do with 60 Acres South is WRONG. I think that the current use of 60 Acres North is not per the Forward Thrust and should be given back to the people. 60 acres south is a public park and it should not be taken from the people and given to a organization (LWSA) This property was bought with the specific purpose to have for unorganized and individual uses per the Forward Thrust. This property is not surplus. This property and it amenities are rare and almost gone. Taking it from the many individuals and groups that uses it now will totally displace them and we will have no where to go for the many uses that we use it for. If given to LWSA, they will not allow horse ridding, dog racing and any other activity to happen at any given time, but will put up signs to stay off like that which is being done on 60 acres north. I drive many miles each way several times a month, to enjoy my time at 60 acres south. Hopefully you will see through the lawsuit that what you are doing is wrong. I will make sure everyone knows who to vote for next time and that they remember what you stand for, when and if you run for other positions representing the people.

[Tim Pierson]

I have been flying 60 acres Soouth for 15 years or so. In this dispute let's all remember the 1968 bond and the 1975 forward thrust intent. Those were done under legal contracts to protect the intended use of the field - open to all residents and not for a private sports association. The facts as I understand them are clear - use of 60 acres South for soccer would ignore the taxpayer's and voter's voice.

Can we find some happy medium, such as the current compromise of the North field for soccer, and part of the South field for parking occaisionally, with the rest for multi-use by the public?

And remember, we are all voters.

[Tom Davis]

Well Mr. White my heart bleeds for you. I suggest you muster support from your fellow soccer supporters and purchase some acreage somewhere! Then you can have complete control. I just hope us non soccer players get a little consideration by the King County Council to crush this BS.

[Steve Thatcher]

so Mr White, you don't care about anyone else except soccer people then. It doesn't matter to you that there would be NO PLACE left for us to fly planes, rockets, etc in the county. You obviously do not participate in any thing other than soccer or dislike the other activities that go on there. I have daughters that play and I am all for the continued use as-is of 60 Acres, but to allow LWYSA to push everyone else out so that only soccer can be done there is a crime to the rest of the people in the county.

[Mike Pearson]

Soccer already has space, and lots of it. Glider fliers and model rocketry enthusiasts have one field - this one. There is no other park property in King County where model rocketry is legal.

There are over 1000 soccer fields in King County - see http://www.kingcosoccer.com/ for an aerial view of most of them; then look around here on www.save60acres.com for an aerial view of the ONLY field that has supported aero-modeling hobbies for the past 30 years or so. This is one of the few mixed-use fields left anywhere in the county.

[David White]

Sorry, I am not with you on this one. This location is perfect for soccer. Perfect. This sport requires space, lots of it and this location fills that need.