The Olmsted-Fairview Park Commission

Hard work and persistence make a dream come true

The Olmsted-Fairview Park Commission, a nonprofit organization chartered under Washington law, was formed in 1989 to establish a shoreline and hillside park between Eastlake Avenue and Fairview Avenue at Shelby Street. Its name refers to the famous Olmsted firm, whose 1903 park plan for Seattle envisioned a park on the east shore of Lake Union. Forgotten for eighty-five years, the Olmsteds' proposal suddenly was now-or-never, as a developer proposed to pave the P-Patch and destroy much wildlife habitat and huge this last Seattle "last country road."

Against impossible odds, a wonderful new city park is now in progress at that location. This happy ending was no accident. For seven years, hundreds of citizen volunteers worked with elected officials, park department managers, and sympathetic businesses to piece together state, county, and city funds to purchase the land and create the park.

Why you should join us

The Olmsted-Fairview Park Commission is closely involved with design of the new park at the historic Olmsted site. But we are also working to establish additional parks, and to maintain and improve existing parks, some of which are seriously deteriorated. The Commission also helped plant many new trees along streets, and with a Metro grant we published Lake Union, Our Neighborhood Treasure, a brochure now in its second printing. Other ideas are always welcome.

Become an honorary park commissioner! Any donation of time or money qualifies you for an official card for a year's term; there is no other way to attain this distinguished position. The only requirement for honorary park commissioners is to help maintain and improve Eastlake's parks. Parks are needed for the thousands who live or work in the neighborhood, but they also are a much-appreciated wildlife and tourist resource for the entire region, and a heritage for future generations.

As an all-volunteer organization, the Olmsted-Fairview Park Commission needs your donated time and financial support. The IRS has granted us a 501(c)(3) classification, so all donations are deductible for you and tax-exempt for the Commission.

YES! I'd like to help enhance parks in Eastlake:

____ Develop a neighborhood-wide parks plan

____ Grant writing, agency contact, and design for a new park

____ Renovate or maintain an existing park

____ Fund-raising

____ Accounting and financial planning

____ Newsletter production

____ Distribute newsletters, fliers, and this brochure

____ Board of trustees

Please list other skills or volunteer interests:





Enclosed is my tax-deductible contribution

____ $100 ____ $50

____ $25 other: $_____

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name phone

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Mail to: Olmsted-Fairview Park Commission, 85. E. Roanoke Street, Seattle, WA 98102. For questions, call 322-5463.