By Katie Melton
Photo taken in Thornton Creek Park No. 6 from Don McCall.
Seattle Parks and Recreation is inviting residents to name two parks in Maple Leaf: Thornton Creek Park No. 6, which is on track for $500,000 for restoration work, as well as Thornton Creek Park No. 2.
Park No. 6 spans from Northeast 105th Street and Fifth Avenue Northeast in the southwest to Northeast 108th Street and Roosevelt Way Northeast, which is a wooded, trailed area with wetlands and an active beaver pond.
Park No. 2 spans from approximately 15th Avenue Northeast and Northeast 105th Street to Northeast 98th Street west of 20th Avenue Northeast, including formal access points at Northeast 102nd Street and 17th Avenue Northeast and at Northeast 104th and 17th Street Northeast, as well as two areas along Northeast 100th Street. The park features viewpoints, wetlands and an abundant wildlife habitat.
Before sending in your suggestions, be aware that “Thornton Creek” will remain in the new name, and that the Park Naming Committee will take into consideration criteria including geographical location, historical or cultural significance and natural or geological features as well as the wildlife, fauna and flora. The park also can be named after a person no longer living who contributed significantly to parks or recreation.
In addition to the Maple Leaf parks, the committee is taking suggestions for Thornton Creek Park No. 1, which is adjacent to Jackson Park Golf Course; the Thornton Creek Natural Area, which is located just across Lake City Way from Maple Leaf from Northeast 100th to 103rd streets; and the new 12th Avenue Neighborhood Park downtown at 12th Avenue East and East James Court.
Got a name you’d like to suggest? Send it by March 3, including an explanation of how your suggestion matches the naming criteria, to paula.hoff@seattle.gov or Seattle Parks and Recreation, Park Naming Committee, 100 Dexter Ave. N, Seattle, WA 98109.
Katie Melton is the intern for Maple Leaf Life. She is a journalism student at the University of Washington.
