A commenter wondered about that fence blocking access to the south play structure – which is only three years old – at Fairmount Playground. We went over for a look today and noted that not only is the play structure fenced off, so is the entire south-side pathway leading to it from Fauntleroy Way SW. At the street end, notices say it’s a “tree protection” zone, and allude to construction, but no further details, and as the commenter noted, the project to install turf on the nearby ballfield is nowhere near construction-ready. So we inquired with Seattle Parks. Spokesperson Karen O’Connor says it’s for a pathway-paving project that “came up quickly” and was announced along with two non-WS projects for which a contract was awarded to Sunset Grill Construction. Here’s the info about this one:
Fairmount Park in West Seattle: Schedule and Closure: July 31 – September 1
Scope: Installation of new ADA-compliant sidewalks around the playground at Fairmount Park. This includes demolition of existing pathways and construction of new concrete and asphalt pavement in compliance with ADA standards. The contractor will need to close the play area to complete this work and will work to minimize impacts to the remainder of the park.
O’Connor says they’ll get explanatory signage so no one else is left to wonder why.