Green River Community College uses the 8.97-acre Lea Hill Park to the north more than the residents of Lea Hill do, primarily as a practice field for intercollegiate sports.
But the tennis court is wretched and the baseball diamond is so unfit for college ball that the Gators play their games at nearby Auburn Mountainview High School.
The upshot is that the park at South 320th Street and 124th Avenue no longer answers the needs of a growing Lea Hill, which includes kids, college students and seniors
Coincidentally, GRCC needs land for the replacement of the 45-year-old Trades and Industry building, part of the college’s master plan for the long-term growth and capital needs of the campus.
Now the City and GRCC have a solution to both problems – a land swap. Per agreement, the City will give the college Lea Hill Park, and the school will build the new Trades Building there. In exchange, the City will get a 7.15-acre site comprised of three parcels known collectively as the Martin property on 124th Avenue between Lea Hill Park and 316th Street, just north of the current park. On this site, GRCC will build a new community park.
Before any plans are finalized, however, GRCC and the City of Auburn need to hear from people who live in the area.
GRCC will host these neighborhood meetings to discuss plans for the new Trades Building:
• 6-8 p.m., Monday, April 19, Family of Grace Lutheran Church, 31317 124th Ave. S.E.
• 6-8 p.m., Monday, April 26, Family of Grace Lutheran Church, 31317 124th Ave. S.E.
• 5-7 p.m., Wednesday, April 28, Lea Hill Clubhouse, 12120 S.E. 319th Place.
Locals are invited to attend and talk with staff about site design, landscaping, and construction plans for the Trades Building, which will be designed as a LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Silver certified building. When completed in 2013, the building will provide a modern instructional environment and help meet local employers’ demands for qualified graduates.
“We are excited about improving the instructional capabilities of our Trades programs,” said Sam Ball, dean for capital projects. “We are committed to integrating this building in the same custom as other campus buildings, with mature forests and greenery that is in keeping with our area’s native vegetation.”
The City of Auburn will host meetings later this spring to discuss future plans for the new park, which will be under joint GRCC and Auburn ownership.
The City of Auburn acquired Lea Hill Park from King County in 2002 when the county was divesting itself of park land. The deed directs that the park property be used for park and recreation purposes forever, unless the City gets equal lands or facilities in exchange. The replacement lands or facilities must also be used for park or recreation purposes.
According to a memorandum of understanding between the City and GRCC, the City will transfer ownership of the park to the college in exchange for both the Martin property and other improvements.
Green River’s Trades programs are now housed in aging buildings at the east entrance to campus. Many of the structures date to the college’s beginning in 1965. They have exceeded their life cycles, can’t meet current safety requirements, and no longer are adequate to support the instructional programs, according to Ball. The new building will combine state-of-the-art equipment and facilities with mature landscaping, green building materials, and sensitive site design.
The instructional programs in the Trades Division include Auto Body, Automotive, Carpentry, Manufacturing, and Welding. Each of these programs is designed to prepare students – many who are laid-off workers seeking retraining – for immediate employment.
There’s not enough space at the current site to meet future facility needs, and with the space freed up, the college can reconfigure the east entrance to the campus. Also, with the building removed, the college will have the room to relocate the Lindbloom Center to 320th.
The GRCC Foundation owns the three parcels of land. A home childcare facility and a house now occupy part of the site. The Foundation, which acquired the land more than a year ago, is in the process of donating its interest to GRCC. The college will retain about 1.77 acres of the Martin property, site of a daycare facility, which it will keep.
An independent appraisal will determine the respective values of the parcels.
Whatever improvements GRCC makes will be consistent with the city-developed-and approved Lea Hill Park Master Plan and cannot exceed $1.5 million. The City will serve as the lead for the Lea Hill Park master plan and work with GRCC and the surrounding community on a conceptual park design.
For more information on the project or neighborhood meetings, visit the College’s web site at www.greenriver.edu or call John Ramsey, in the Public Information Office, at 253-288-3360.
