In this time of increasing unemployment for the tax-paying citizens of our city, and in light of the Federal Way City Council approving more than a quarter of a million dollars to upgrade four city parks, I would be interested in the opinions of the neighbors that surround these parks especially concerning their view of the personal safety and crime incidents.
In November 2008, the parks and rec commission has this comment in the records: Commissioner Pfeiffer said there have been several car break-ins at Steel Lake, Saghalie and Sacajawea parks. It is accelerating at an alarming rate and he is concerned about the lack of security and boldness of the vandals.
Even previous to the December 2008 shooting, Alderdale Park seemed to have enough of a reputation for unsafe/illegal activity that I chose not to take my children there when they were still of “playground” age. Do the local residents currently feel the same aversion to letting their children play there? Is the park legitimately used by families often enough that replacing the play equipment is a wise use of our city funds? Or would the funds be better used funding more police presence there?
When my children were younger I took them to Sacajawea Park — once. There was a feeling of uncomfortable isolation, and on occasions of driving past, there were older teens or grown-ups loitering about (i.e., they were not there to supervise playing children) that gave a sense of foreboding for a mom supervising children without dad being with us. Last October, my 6-foot-4-inch son took his teen sister there for some brother/sister time before he left for USMC boot camp. They were appalled at all of the broken beer bottles and piles of cigarette butts — evidence that it was a more of a loitering location for folks who were probably not there for the business of happy child play.
Do the neighbors, and parents of children taking part in the sports events held at Sacajawea currently feel comfortable with their children playing at Sacajawea Park, or is there still a concern over safety issues?
The question in my mind is: “Sure new play equipment is fun and ultimately safer for the little ones than the old stuff…but will it be used enough by the families it was designed for to make it worth the $227,651 expenditure? Or will it sit there gathering dust because the park itself is considered by parents as a questionable location to bring their children into?”
The only ones who can answer that question are the families that live next to these parks who see the day-to-day activities there. I wonder if they were asked?
Harriet Cook, Federal Way
