Seattle Public Schools (SPS) announced plans last fall to convert the grass field at Wallingford Playfield into a lighted synthetic turf football field for nearby Lincoln High School, the only public high school in the city without a dedicated football field. Voters gave the go-ahead to pay for it in a 2022 tax levy.
Backlash to the announcement was swift.
SPS received hundreds of emails, more than a thousand people signed a petition to “Save Wallingford Playfield,” and an organization called the Wallingford Park Alliance formed in opposition to the conversion plan — even hiring an attorney. The Alliance proposed an alternative — a full-sized field could fit at Woodland Park’s undeveloped lot at 50th and Aurora.
In November, SPS pared down its proposal, offering plans for a half-sized, unlit synthetic turf practice field at Wallingford Park. The new proposal would leave some of the grass field but wouldn’t cut it for high school football or soccer games.
The case for turf sports field
Seattle’s population has grown more than 20% in the last ten years, often topping the list of fastest growing cities in America. One way in which Seattle has outgrown itself is the lack of practice space for school sports. Middle and high school students across the city often practice far away from school grounds. Right now, the Lincoln football team practices and plays at Seattle Center’s Memorial Stadium, about a 15-minute drive from the school.
Wallingford Playfield is a five-minute walk.
According to SPS, Wallingford Playfield was chosen after extensive review of 14 other sites. The playfield is large enough to fit a full-length football field, without affecting the park’s playground, tennis courts, or wading pool.
Moreover, beneath the grass in the park is a layer of sand that allows for drainage. A grass field in a rainy city is bound to be muddy, but sand-based fields can work in wet climates with proper maintenance,
Another argument for the plan? Wallingford Playfield is kind of a mess. The grass is patchy and uneven, and many neighbors use it as an unsanctioned off-leash dog park. Residents complain that Seattle Parks and Recreation isn’t providing sufficient care for the field. For their part, Seattle Parks and Recreation supports the conversion of Wallingford Playfield into turf.
The case for greenspace
Right now, Wallingford Playfield is considered “unstructured greenspace,” which means it is free and open to the public without reservations. On any given day, the field hosts pickup soccer games, tai chi, camps, after-school programs, frisbee, and more. A full-sized synthetic turf football field would cover 85% of the park’s greenspace, and may require reservations to use. In a letter to SPS, Wallingford Park Alliance lawyer Rick Aramburu points to several historical documents that enshrine Wallingford Park as unstructured greenspace.
Wallingford resident Ava Sazanami says that kind of space is getting rarer:
“Dwindling greenspace in urban areas will only become more pointed with global warming, and people are likely going to feel more defensive of the green spaces that remain,” Sazanami said.
Furthermore, recent studies have identified numerous known carcinogens in synthetic turf such as phthalates and per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAs). The process of cleaning up PFAs — known as forever chemicals — is complex and expensive.
Turf, unlike grass, traps daytime heat. That trapped heat in turn warms both the air around it and the water that drains beneath it. Warmer runoff water further aggravates an already stressed water cycle.
There are few environmental regulations on the disposal of artificial turf, and while it is possible to recycle some components of artificial turf, much of it will end up in a landfill in ten years’ time.
A Neighborhood Divided
Attendees at the Hamilton meeting declared their allegiance through apparel — red Lincoln High School gear for those in support of the turf field, green bandanas for those opposed.
Nearly 60 people participated in the open comment portion of the meeting, including turf proponent Levi Hanscom, Lincoln High School associated student body president and a cross-country runner.
In a neighborhood with incredible parks like Gasworks and Meridian, Hanscom said, Wallingford Playfield isn’t the only greenspace. As a senior, Levi will be long graduated before any ground is broken. He’s not advocating for himself. He wants this field for the next generation. After all, he said to the divided crowd: “We’re not strangers. We’re your kids. We’re your grandkids.”
At presstime, a spokesperson for Seattle Parks & Recreation said that moving forward with a playfield conversion proposal is “the school district’s decision to make.”
“So far, they have not released a proposal to us,” Seattle Parks’ Rachel Schulkin said.
