Newcastle Open Space Project

January Meeting & Presentation

2009-01-16T13:36:00.001-08:00

Newcastle Open Space presentation and meeting will be held on

Tuesday, January 27 at 7:00pm

at the Newcastle Firestation #9 - 12412 SE Newcastle Way.

Please join us to learn more about the lands at risk and participate

in the discussion on how to save our open spaces.

Everyone is welcome. Please email us with any questions.

Why I Care About Open Space

2009-01-11T18:34:00.001-08:00

I have always enjoyed trees and green space. This is why I live in the Pacific Northwest and am so passionate about the Newcastle Open Space Project. But it took a five year old child to truly remind me of the importance of open space in Newcastle.

Last weekend I had my nephews over for a few days. I took them with me to walk the dog in the morning and one of them saw a sign post for the Cross-Town Trail. He got all excited and wanted to go hike that trail to which I replied tha we were already on the trail. With a confused and dejected face he replied, "But this is a sidewalk."

That one comment reminded me why I care. No more sidewalks masquerading as trails!

Newcastle News December 5, 2008

2008-12-18T09:36:00.000-08:00

GOOD NEWS - May Creek Park Entrance Parcel

2008-12-03T12:51:00.000-08:00

After years of lobbying by Newcastle Trails, the Council just voted to purchase the Entrance Parcel to May Creek Park ($90K city funds, $90K from a grant NT worked for). This will give the park a main entrance, save the last non-public segment of our historic rail-trail, and save two stands of trees.

NOTE: The Council voted 6-1. The one vote against the purchase was council member Sonny Putter. Keep that in mind when elections come along!

Until the purchase is finalized, NOSP will keep this parcel on our AT RISK list. The city has purchased park land in the past and then turned it over for a rentention pond. We'll continue to keep an eye on this one.

A Letter to the Editor

2008-12-03T07:48:00.000-08:00

By the time you read this, the Newcastle budget may be decided. But the issues remain, and 2009 is an election year for the City Council. Continuing citizen involvement may help us avoid the worst of all worlds: increased taxes, cuts in basic services, and permanent deficiencies in parks, trails and open space. So far, pressure from citizens has kept the lid on taxes; but there's a Parkway debt hanging over us, and a wish-list of big-ticket projects (like a new City Hall). On a per-capita basis, we trail far behind Bellevue and Renton in basic services, in park acreage, and in trail mileage. And parks and trails are poorly distributed: some neighborhoods are well-served, others have been left out.

Newcastle is still a green city, with trails and open spaces, and all their benefits: healthy recreation, pedestrian connections, wildlife, higher home values and quicker sales. But your local trail or woods may be temporary, on private land awaiting the next wave of development. If you go to the Newcastle Trails web site at http://www.newcastletrails.org/, you'll see dotted lines on the trail map - existing trails on private land, or trails not yet built.

Priority is the key. We can keep Newcastle green by lobbying (or changing) city government to make the preservation of trails and open space (including potential parkland) the top priority. Since Newcastle was founded, it's been the reverse. We've spent millions developing Lake Boren Park, perhaps $41,000 on trail construction citywide, and close to zero on saving trail corridors and open space. When Dan Wilson offered a free trail easement, the city waited over six years to sign the agreement. Low priority. Meanwhile, other trails closed and open space disappeared.

Now is a good time to acquire land: prices are falling; grants are available. We can always build things; but losing essential open space means a permanent deficit in parks and trails. Visit the web sites above, join up (no dues), and help keep Newcastle green.

Dr. Garry Kampen

Newcastle News Interview

2008-11-03T08:34:00.000-08:00

Jim Feehan from Newcastle News interviewed Troy Hopwood and Monica Erickson on Saturday, November 1. Jim had received one of our pamphlets during Newcastle Days and was curious about our group. Look for the article in the December edition of the Newcastle News.

Newcastle Days at Lake Boren

2008-09-06T10:23:00.000-07:00

We printed and distributed 600 pamphlets September 6 & 7 at the Newcastle Days celebration. For those of you that helped with that effort, a HUGE THANK YOU!

For those of you that are visiting because of that pamphlet, please join our email list and help us get the word out.

Let our council members know we want to save our green space. WELCOME!