Sample letter from Rick Helgeson
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Rick wrote a very detailed letter as part of our last fight for 60-Acres. His letter talks about most of the reasons to maintain 60-Acres South as a glider field. We would encourage you to read through it to get ideas for your own letters.
Table of contents (links skip to your favorite topic!)
1. Intro
2. Training night for beginner pilots
3. King County's Business Plan
4. ADOPS Proposal (where SASS offered to pay for maintenance on the
field through a state grant program)
5. 60-Acres offers diverse activities
6. Water reclamation plan by King County
7. Lack of master plan for 60-Acres
8. King County no longer interested in preserving park land
9. What makes 60-Acres South unique for sailplane flying
10. History of 60-Acres Park
11. Forward Thrust land purchase and 60-Acres
12. Surplussing of 60-Acres
13. The History of the Seattle Area Soaring Society and its use of
60-Acres
14. Current users of 60-Acres South and how they coexist
14a. Greyhound clubs
14b. Free flight model airplanes
14c. Model rocketeers
14d. R/C Sailplanes
15. Safety requirements at 60-Acres and compatibility with other
activities
16. Political fall out from previous attempts to remove SASS from
60-Acres
17. Parking on 60-Acres South
18. The difference between Soccer and SASS
19. Marymoor Park master plan including R/C power planes
20. King County does not have any other land suitable for the
flying of R/C Airplanes
21. Conclusions
Re: Saving 60 Acres South for its Current Users
Dear Mr. Sims and King County Council members;
My name is Rick Helgeson. Two of my children play for the Lake Washington Youth Soccer Association and I am a member of the Seattle Area Soaring Society and fly remote control sailplanes on 60 Acres south with another of my kids. 60 Areas South has been home to the Seattle Area Soaring Society (SASS) since 1970. (Exhibit 1). In the upcoming weeks or months, the council will be asked to approve a lease between King County and the Lake Washington Youth Soccer Association (LWYSA) granting LWYSA the rights to control what happens on 60 Acres South for the next 50 years. The purpose of this letter is to voice my objection to the lease agreement and to provide you with the history of the park. I would like to talk to you in person concerning the issues discussed below and invite the Council to visit 60 Acres South and witness the only site in King County for flying remote control sailplanes.
Some of you are aware of SASS and what happens on 60 Acres South. Some of you are new since the proposed water reclamation facility and King Couty’s plans to place it on park property approximately four years ago. You are most likely unaware of the unique nature of 60 Acres South and the dilemma faced By SASS.
SASS sponsors “training night” every Wednesday throughout the flying season. It is open to all. SASS provides a BBQ, Hot Dogs and Hamburgers at no charge to all that come out see what we do. The purpose of “training night” is to foster the hobby/sport by providing free lessons and to safety checks of all the Remote Control Sailplanes. Our goal is to make sure that all the models go home in one piece. SASS provides a multimillion dollar insurance policy protecting King County in the event of an injury.
Published information from Parks makes it sound like all the issues with SASS (the primary user of 60 Acres South) have all been worked out. Unfortunately that is incorrect.
Before you vote, please take the time to visit 60 Acres South to see what it is that we do at this park. In the alternative, a DVD is enclosed to provide additional visual information. Unfortunately it is not the same as actually seeing it for your self.
60 Acres South is the only site for Remote Control Sailplanes (no motors) in all of King County. Loss of this site will probably mean extinction of this activity in King County.
Why is this letter to you so late?
Over the last several years, Parks has given SASS the impression that Parks would find SASS a permanent home.
SASS always had the impression that a new home for SASS was a prerequisite before anything could be done with 60 Acres South. Unfortunately, we have come to realize that impression was either incorrect or Parks was trying to lull SASS into not doing anything proactive. As will be discussed later, there is no public property in King County Suitable for the flying of sailplanes other than 60 Acres South.
SASS fully understands Mr. Sims business plan and that he believes that parks should be turned into revenue generators. What is really going on, is that King County wants to get out of the park business all together.
Parks as revenue generators is not a new idea. It has been tried by cities and counties throughout the United States. The problem is that no one has been able to make the concept work.
A review of Parks accounting seems to indicate that the best revenue generator Parks has is the collection of parking fees. As far as we can tell, King county has never collected a dime from soccer on 60 acres north. It is interesting to note that the soccer association has rented 60 Acres south several times this last year. They only wanted it for parking. 60 Acres North does not have enough parking to satisfy its current needs. And they charged for it. Five times the rate that King County Charges at Marymoor.
It has also been recommended that SASS sell advertising by putting up 4 by 8 sheets of plywood around the field and sell the space for advertising. Interesting, but not realistic. (I thought this was a park!)
The only activity that seem to generate revenues in excess of expenses in King County Parks has been BEER GARDENS.
So what can happen on 60 Acres South? Driving ranges won’t work under Redmond code. (height and visual limitations, besides there are already TWO within two miles). No lights at night. (night sky light limitations) Even soccer would require a conditional use permit and the problem you have there is that without significant street and traffic improvements, no permit will be issued.
In addition, portions of the field are within the 100 year flood plain of a class 1 salmon stream.
As Bob Burns (King County) recommended, we could always try a beer garden. Redmond and King County don’t get along anyway so why not. (Redmond has felt for a long time that Ron Sims sees Redmond as King County’s dumping ground)
As you can see, we are a little frustrated with this argument. We understand its concept, but we have never seen any practical application of the concept that actually generates more revenue than it spends.
Flying of remote control sailplanes has occurred at 60 Acres since 1970. In the past 30 years, the highest and best use of this property has occurred naturally. SASS made an ADOP’s proposal to reduce expenses for Parks by taking over management of the field and at the same time obtain significant monies to improve a park property without expending Parks funds. It sounds like a win – win situation for Parks.
King County’s ADOP’s program is for the partnering of private organizations with parks to help take the load off of Parks back. SASS spent hours assembling an application for the operations and maintenance of 60 Acres South. SASS has the manpower to operate and maintain the 60 Acres South facility. The application, one of the best seen by the manager of the ADOP’s program, was rejected. It took over 7 months to obtain a response.
The response was:
Thank you for your email of September 1, 2005 with your additional questions about 60 Acres South. While the business plan does not specifically address each of the 180+ sites, the overall purpose of the business plan is to make the King County Parks System the most efficient, lean, entrepreneurial, and regional system that our assets and our limited budget can provide. Our goal is to identify the highest and best use recreational use for those facilities within our system which result in increased revenues and minimal operations cost. In regard to Sixty Acres South, King County’s proposed arrangement with LWYSA would eliminate all public O&M cost for the site, serve well over 6000 youth and their parents and generate revenue for the Park System. While the SASS proposal did offer O&M savings for King County, it would serve fewer citizens than the proposed LWYSA usage, hence for this particular site, the highest and best use continues to be sports fields.
King County still believes that soaring is an important activity to those who enjoy it and thus based upon the other merits of SASS’s proposal, we continue to offer a $100,000.00 grant to develop a permanent location at another site. Over the past two years, we have worked hard with several members of the SASS organization to identify alternative sites for this recreational use. We continue to strongly encourage SASS to work with us to develop another site while we have this window of opportunity to avoid any disruption in SASS programming.
King County has offered a $1000,000 cash incentive in an effort to help SASS relocate. As will be discussed below, a search has been conducted and no other long term solution has been found.
The response from parks indicates that the lease with LWYSA will generate revenue. However, in the 30 years that LWYSA has leased the property, King County has not collected a dime for field rental. In other words, LWYSA has never “generated any revenue for Parks.” LWYSA has performed some interesting accounting to make sure no rent is paid. On the other hand, SASS paid rent for many years, and it guarantied rental money under the ADOP’s proposal.
The proposed lease with LWYSA on 60 Acres South guarantees more soccer, and nothing else. Preserving the diverse nature of user groups was something King County was once proud to uphold. Instead the steam roller known as SOCCER, wants to own it all.
Parks has tried to tell us that there is plenty of protection for users other than soccer in the proposed lease. No matter how strong the “protections,” if King County decides not to enforce them (as it has failed to do in the past), it really does not matter.
The Water Reclamation Test Facility (aka the Turd Plant)
Several years ago, Ron Sims at a press conference announced that a “pilot” plant was going to be built to reclaim water from sewage. He indicated that the “pilot” plant was the size of an 18 wheel truck and trailer.
Over the next two years the “pilot” plant became 7.3 acres and was going to be placed on park property. Although other property was found that would not displace users, the 60 Acres site was still chosen. Because Parks was planning on leasing the property to Natural Resources, this became a revenue generator for parks. I am not sure how king county renting from itself generated revenue, but that is how parks presented their case.
The public involvement process was long and involved. DNR’s web site in its Water Reuse Program Update stated in part: (Exhibit 4)
“King County is seeking public comment throughout the process. The facility’s neighbors and recreation groups that use the park are especially involved in providing feedback. The community has given many suggestions for the facility. We have heard that the public wants the facility to:
Not displace current recreational users.”
Over the next year or so, SASS attended many pubic hearings on this project. Although SASS made many recommendations, not a single recommendation was incorporated into the plan. Suddenly and without warning a determination of non-significance (DNS) posting appeared at the site. Up until this point SASS thought that the project was still in planning stage.
SASS mobilized its members and collected over 4000 signatures and sent the King County Council over 1400 letters. SASS appealed, DNR’s application to the City of Redmond, and mobilized over 90 SASS members to show up at Redmond City Counsel meetings. The issue of the displacement of SASS ultimately made the front page of the Seattle Times and the Eastside Journal. Shortly after that, the application for a construction permit was withdrawn.
SASS successfully stopped a 39.7 million “pilot” project just 5 months after it mobilized.
The public comment process to the water reclamation facility resulted in a public response to changing the use of this field. The public does not want to see current users displaced. Careful consideration must be given to the users of this field because it is the ONLY Remote Control Sailplane flying site in King County. Although King County has over 600 parks and 1000 soccer fields, there is no other King County Park property with the unique topography of 60 acres south. As the usability of this field is eroded, it will mean the extinction of this unique form of remote control sailplane flying from King County.
At no time throughout this process did Parks tell us that our efforts in stopping the facility would be in vain. In fact, we were told by Natural Resources that if SASS were to not fight the application, Natural Resources would guarantee the remainder of the site for future SASS activities. However, that would still significantly reduce the usability of the field and the offer was turned down.
At no time did LWYSA contest the water reclamation facility. Now it expects to reap the benefits of the thousands of man hours spent by others to preserve this park land in its current form and convert it to soccer.
The 1995 County Wide Parks Master Plan
King County performed a master plan for all its park properties that concluded in 1995. Amazingly, 60 Acres was NOT included in the Master Plan. If nothing else, this mandated master plan should be completed on 60 Acres South before any thing else proceeds.
The public hearings on the water reclamation facility discussed above are the closest thing to public hearings that would be required for a new master plan. The public has clearly spoken on the issue of preserving current user groups.
King County No Longer has an Interest in Preserving Park Land
Part of the above problem surfaced when Sims merged Parks with The Department of Natural Resources. This created an inherent conflict of interest in King County Government. The concept of placing a water reclamation plant on park property was met without resistance from anyone in Parks.
DNRP Has Known From the Beginning About Objections to This Site. Tom Fox, one of the managers of the water reclamation project seemed surprised in meetings that the sailplane community was objecting to a sewage treatment plant at this location. A recent Request for Disclosure of Public Records reveled the following e-mail conversation between Tom Fox and Bob Burns (acting Parks Director),
From: Fox, Tom
Sent: Friday, June 21, 2002 9:04 AM
To: Burns, Bob
Subject: Re: Do you have a minute today?
Bob. I tried that number and got someone else. We have problems with the 2 parks sites – The soccer site has wetlands on the hill and the airplane site has all the neighbors and the airplane people against us. So…that is what I needed to tell you. We will have to start looking at some alternatives one that does not involve parks.
From: Burns, Bob
Sent: Friday, June 21, 2002 9:08 AM
To: Fox, Tom
Subject: Do you have just a minute today?
Are you getting weak kneed? I hope you don’t eliminate a parks site as a possibility. (emphasis added) I will be back at King Street at the end of the day. I will catch you then.
Bob Burns, the acting Parks Director at the time did not see any problem in giving up park property. Just two months after this email, King County selected the 60 Acres South Site without notification to those objecting to the facility.
This same e-mail made the front page of the Seattle-Times (below the fold). (Exhibit 5A)
Ultimately, the King County Counsel withdrew support for the project and it was canceled.
It is important to recognize that King County Parks no longer has an interest in protecting park land. At least not for the typical drop in user or for current user groups.
What Makes 60 Acres South So Special for Sailplanes?
On most days, you can keep a sailplane aloft for several hours. How is this possible without a motor?
Rising air, lots and lots of rising air. Air rises through 1) thermals, 2) the formation of a wave or 3) encountering a slope resulting in “slope lift. Air rises through all three of these formations. Strong enough to keep a sailplane aloft for hours. The stronger the rising air, the higher the “lapse” rate. Rising air with a high lapse rate is common at 60 acres south. A study of the local topography and its relationship to the prevailing wind direction provides the answer. It also indicates that this kind of relationship between the land and the air does not occur anywhere else in King County.
Thermal Lift
If you were to look out over the Mississippi river on a calm day, it would look still, not moving at all. Then suddenly, a log floats by. Suspended in the current of the river. Although it does not look like it, the water is moving.
Imagine that a thermal is that log. The thermal is suspended in a current of constantly moving air. Thermals move constantly, suspended in the current of the prevailing wind.
Thermals are born in many ways but the most common is based upon difference between the night and day time temperatures. During the night, the ground cools. As the sun rises, the air is warmed much quicker than the ground. Some areas of the ground (asphalt parking lots, recently plowed fields, green growing fields etc) warm faster that other areas of the ground. As the ground warms, a thermal is born and begins to move in the current of the prevailing wind.
At this point, the thermal is weak and fragile. If it is disrupted at this point, it breaks free of the ground and dissipates.
Most ridge lines in the Pacific NW run east and west. Unfortunately, the prevailing wind direction runs north and south. Thermals do not survive over the constant ridges they must cross and are disrupted as quickly as they are born.
60 Acres is unique. Both the prevailing wind and ridge lines on both sides of the valley run north and south. A newborn thermal can travel for miles in the flat lands of the valley before it encounters a ridge and dissipates. And right in the middle of this valley is the best thermal flying site in King County.
Slope Lift
In addition, just to the east of 60 Acres is a gentle slope with a ridge running north and south. During those times when the wind comes from the north west or south west, rising air is created as it passes up and over the hillside. This “slope lift” is also enough to keep an aircraft aloft as long as the wind blows.
Wave Lift
In addition to rising air from slope and thermal lift, 60 Acres South also has rising air in the form of a “wave”. Waves of rising air can be created from several different land formations in conjunction with moving air. At 60 Acres a wave forms to the west side of the 60 Acres South. As wind comes from the NW or SW, it must come over the hill side on the west side of the valley. As it crosses over the hill, it forms an eddy, similar to what happens down stream of a rock in a river. As the water eddies around the rock something looking like a whirlpool forms downstream of the rock. At 60 Acres, the wind eddies over the hill on the west side of the valley. It strikes the ground and bounces back up. A wave is formed to the west of 60 Acres South. As long as the wind blows from these directions, the wave remains. As long as the wave remains, the sailplanes can remain aloft in the wave.
I can launch a sailplane, and use any one type of lift or any combination of types of lift to remain aloft.
60 Acres South is unique. To find a site that generates lift using several different methods (thermal, slope and wave) is unheard of. This is a VERY unique sailplane flying site. I have never seen a site that generates lift so many different ways in all my travels around the United States. I seriously doubt that a different site exists anywhere in King County that generates lift like 60 Acres.
To give you an example of how unique this situation is, all you have to do is look on the other side of the slough. We have flow there several times and even used the site for a two day contest. The wind that day was from the north west. The conditions stunk. The downward side of the eddy slams down on this half of the valley. Crushing any thermals. The slope was too far to get to and maintain visibility. We flew for and entire weekend. No one found a single thermal.
Those that did not compete, flew at 60 acres south. They said the lift was Booming all day. (Booming is slang for REALLY BIG LIFT). Simply moving what might seem like a short distance to many resulted in a significant change in lift. The proper microclimate is critical to a good flying site for sailplanes.
The issue here, is that the air above the ground is more important than the ground. However, with out the correct type of ground formations, relative to prevailing wind directions and lack of thermal disrupters, the air above the ground is not conducive to the flying of sailplanes.
On February 13, 1968 the people of King County vote on 12 proposed bond propositions totaling $815.2 Million. The Kingdome only cost $40 million. $118 million was for new parks.
60 acres was purchased under King County Resolution 34571. This resolution places strict restrictions on the property. It states in part; “Public park …. acquired …. from the proceeds of the bonds authorized to this resolution shall not be transferred or conveyed except by agreement providing that such lands shall continue to be used for the purpose contemplated by this resolution, or be converted to a different use unless other equivalent lands and facilities within the County or City shall be received in exchange therefore.”
The transfer occurred on May 10th, 1968. Herbert A. Schiessl transferred the property by warranty deed to King County for $330,000.00. Recorder number 6367826. The legal description is “Tracts 1 thru 12, Willows Garden Tracts, Recorded Volume 21 of plats page 99 King County.
On October 6th, 1971, King County transferred the “Right to Use Land for Public Recreation Purposes” to the Interagency Committee for Outdoor Recreation for $10.00. The language contained above is included on the face of the Deed of Right. It was recorded under King County Recorder number 7204060480.
Sixty Acres can be found in the tax records by parcel number 942850-0080 (I believe for 60 acres) or 352605-9074 for the 18-acre parcel. The owner remains King County for both parcels.
We have an informational flyer from the Seattle Area Soaring Society dated 1973 showing this field as home base (Exhibit 1) and a letter from King County Executive Tim Hill (March 26, 1990) stating: “To my Knowledge, the County’s 60 Acres Park-South is the only public park on the east side that is topographically suitable and available for Dog trials and model glider and rocket hobbyists. (Exhibit 7) Park users come from a large geographic area including Seattle, unincorporated King County and Eastside suburban cities.”
Currently, the property falls under the City of Redmond Comprehensive Plan and is zoned Urban Recreation (UR) as are the properties to the south and west. The property to the east is also within the city of Redmond and is zoned R1 (Large residential lot, one DU per acre).
The other half of 60 Acres to the north falls under the King County Comprehensive Plan and is currently zoned A-10 Agricultural (one DU per 10 acres).
The short version of the above is that the property is owned by King County and purchased with Forward Thrust Funds. The Recreational rights were deeded to the Interagency Committee for Outdoor Recreation. The property falls under the City of Redmond Comprehensive Plan and is zoned Urban Recreational. Most importantly, the property purchased with Forward Thrust Funds cannot be used for anything other than outdoor recreation unless the property has been surplussed and an equivalent piece of property has been provided to King County. As of this date, King County has not surplussed the property.
Why was this Property Purchased with Forward Thrust and IAC Money?
Resolution No. 33165 was adopted by the Board or County Commissioners on February 27, 1967. That resolution states in part:
Ten Year Plan for Open Space Acquisition
****
There is also a need for community playfields, but studies show that the County’s school districts are providing adequate space for this function in conjunction with their acquisition of sites for secondary schools, so the problem is one of operation and development of these sites rather than acquisition which is the primary concern of the program outlined herein.
****
Following is a summary of the total need for additional open space for the next ten years by function with a brief description of recommendations.
Regional Parks
Definition:
Large areas selected and developed primarily to provide outdoor recreation opportunities not feasible in urbanized areas. (Exhibit 6)
This resolution contains a spreadsheet showing purchased and anticipated properties for purchase. The spreadsheet include the Sammamish properties that include 60 Acres South.
A clarification was drafted by King County when it became clear in 1975 that Forward Thrust funds were not being spent properly. It states in part:
A Clarification of Procedures and Actions in Regard to
Forward Thrust Resolution 34571
Overriding Objective
Carry out all projects in accordance with the original Forward Thrust Stated intent to extent feasible. This intent defines the development of a broad park and recreation plan consisting of specified categories and types, defined and described as follows:
Regional Parks
Large areas, several hundred acres or more in size, selected and developed primarily to provide outdoor recreation opportunities not feasible in urbanized areas. Frequently contain special features or unique qualities that are attractive to the regional population. (Exhibit 7)
Although research of the foundation of Forward Thrust has just begun, it is clear that Regional parks were not for the development of active ball fields. King County has over 1000 soccer fields spread throughout its urbanized area. Because of its size and location, there is only one remote control sailplane field. In other words, this activity does not exist anywhere else in the urbanized area of King County.
On the other hand, over 1000 soccer fields in King County and over 6000 kids with LWYSA in the Lake Washington School District alone.
60 Acres South contains the special features and unique qualities that allow for the activities that currently occur on this site.
This activity (the flying of remote control sailplanes) satisfies the desire and intent of the original Forward Thrust Bonds. The playing of soccer does not.
This definition of a Regional Park has formed the corner stone of the current lawsuit filed by SASS and the neighborhood on the hill overlooking 60 Acres South.
King County has Begun the Surplus Process for 60 Acres South
It is amazing how much a government agency can twist it policy and regulations, when it really wants to do something. On May 24, 2004, Pam Bissonnette, department director wrote the following:
The Department of Natural Resources and Parks desires to surplus tax parcel 352605-9074, commonly known as Sixty Acres Park South to the Lake Washington Youth Soccer Association (LWYSA) in exchange for nearby tax parcel 2726059127 owned by LWYSA. Sixty Acres South is surplus to the Departments needs only for the purpose of this exchange. Through this exchange, the department will be a le to facilitate farming of prime property in the Farmlands Preservation Program and facilitate the development of additional active recreation soccer fields by LWYSA. (Exhibit 8)
King County has not satisfied the needs of its own surplus requirements.
History of Seattle Area Soaring Society
From the time it was purchased, the Seattle Area Soaring Society has flown from this site. We’ve actually discovered some old informational flyers identifying 60 Acres Park South (forward thrust) as the local sailplane field. The field existed for many years in “a natural state”. An actual sailplane club was formed in the 80’s for the purposes of raising enough money to mow the grass. Typically, the club could afford approximately four cuttings a year at about $600.00 a cutting. We were always able to work out a schedule with the scheduling coordinator at Marymore so that we could perform the cutting with our own funds with the graces of the park system. Suddenly, in about 1992 or 1993, a County piece of equipment showed up at the site for the cutting of the grass. Compared to the piece of equipment that we had, it was huge. Instead of taking 2-3 days to cut the grass, it cut the grass, once in each direction, in about 3 hours. We made sure that we sent thank you letters and banners to the appropriate parties at the time, and I believe we sent a Thanksgiving turkey to the guy running the mowing equipment. Through the help of Parks, we found ourselves on a schedule where the cut grass was being cut on a routine basis.
The next year, the access road into the flying field became impassable. The operator of the grass cutting equipment called the utilities division, who showed up several hours later with several dump trucks full of gravel and a small bulldozer. Suddenly, the roads were in beautiful shape.
Several years later, several members of Parks visited the site to observe the users in action. They seemed impressed by the fact that there wasn’t any garbage. When asked where the garbage disappeared to, we simply told them that we loaded it in our cars and took it home. The next day garbage cans arrived at the site and were secured at various locations.
A year after that, we went to parks and asked if we could put sani-cans on the site. The Soaring Club installed the concrete pads, and the gravel access areas immediately in front of them at its own expense. I believe the county is paying for the cost of disposal. Subsequently, we obtained permission from Parks to locate a 10X20’ storage container on the site. The container holds approximately $35,000.00 worth of equipment used by the flying club on a weekly basis.
As a club, SASS has been a great steward of 60 acres south. SASS takes care of and maintains the park as best it can while sharing the park with other compatible user groups. Every family that uses the park appreciates what Parks has done. The Seattle Area Soaring Society also appreciates what Parks has done over the years. The Seattle Area Soaring Society is not looking to expand, it just wishes to survive.
Current users and their compatibility with each other
This field is unique. It has no landscaping, no picnic tables, no play areas, no parking area, in other words, not what you see in a typical King County Park. Because of this, it is perfect for the primary users of the field. The four primary uses of the field are Greyhound Dog Racing, Free Flight Airplanes, Rockets and the most active group, Remote Control Gliders.
There are several Greyhound clubs that race at this field. Greyhounds love to race, especially when they are chasing a white rabbit or a look-alike. Many turning blocks are placed around the field in a back and fourth, around the field pattern. A cable is run around the blocks with a white piece of cloth tied on one end. The cable is wound in around an electric winch drum at a speed just slightly faster than the dogs can run. Between the cable run and the parked cars, RV’s and dog pens, the entire field is covered. A different course is configured for each race.
The best possible field for this activity is a large cut-grass covered field without any trees, fences, landscaping, tall grass (anything over 4 inches and the dogs cannot see the “rabbit”), buildings, sign posts, soccer goals, blackberry vines etc.
Free-flight airplane clubs sign up to use the field for competitions. Some come from as far away as Port Angeles. Free Flight Airplanes are typically powered by rubber bands. Not the typical rubber band you’re likely thinking of, but rubber that is measured in yards, not inches. Mechanical winders (both hand and electrical powered) are employed. Wind counts are measured in thousands. Rubber tension can be so high that fuselages have been known to collapse. There is enough energy in the wound rubber to turn some class propellers for more than two minutes. These planes commonly catch thermals and continue to climb after the propeller stops turning. The planes, once they leave your hand, are not controlled. Some of these planes take many hours to build and contact under power with any ground based object might result in their destruction. Obviously, the owner would like them back, so timers are installed that spoil the aerodynamics of the planes, causing it to float back to earth like a falling leaf. At the time the pilot launches the plane, he/she does not know where it will come down.
The best possible field for flying this type of airplane is a large cut-grass covered field without any trees, fences, landscaping, buildings, sign posts, soccer goals, blackberry vines, buildings, sign posts, soccer goals, blackberry vines, surrounded by additional uninhabited/unused area if possible.
Rockets are the next user. The largest organized rocket group is the Cub and Boy Scouts in pursuit of another merit badge. All the rockets are powered by safe solid rocket fuel. They vary from 4 inches long to over 11 feet tall. The 4 incher’s launch to about 400 feet. The 11 footers launch several thousands of feet high and require FAA clearance. Once launched, the owner has no control over where the rocket comes down. At the top of the rocket’s trajectory, it will do one of three things: 1) pop a parachute and return to earth with little damage, though perhaps after drifting hundreds of yards; 2) pop a streamer and return to earth quite a bit quicker or; 3) occasionally, nothing pops out and they return to earth ballisticly. In this last situation, the rockets are usually destroyed. Safety concerns and recovery require large open areas.
The best possible field for launching rockets is a large cut-grass covered field without any trees, fences, landscaping, buildings, sign posts, soccer goals, blackberry vines, surrounded by additional uninhabited/unused area if possible.
Remote Controlled Sailplanes and the Seattle Area Soaring Society
The largest group is Remote Controlled Sailplanes. Sailplanes are launched by various methods, but once aloft, their pilots attempt to fly them into thermal updrafts, or rising air from slope or wave formations. These aircraft do not have engines and literally soar like the eagles. There are some electric assisted launching sailplanes, but they are very quiet.
A well run club (Seattle Area Soaring Society) has helped the county maintain and clean the field since 1970. At the low end are planes made of Balsa Wood, covered in heat shrink mylar and contain radio gear (Plane and Radio cost approximately $400.00). At the high end are planes with wings made of molded carbon fiber and fuselages of fiber glass and Kevlar in an epoxy matrix. The high end planes use 6 to 8 servos to control flight surfaces with a computer controlled radio and have wing spans exceeding 13 feet. (Plane and Radio can cost over $3000.00).
The sailplanes are launched by a high power electric winch. The height the winch can launch a plane is determined by the distance between the winch and the turn around pulley. At 60 Acres the launch lines run the full length of the field. In other words, the launch height at 60 Acres is limited by the field’s rather small size compared with most other sailplane fields from around the country.
It will surprise many of you that the longest model sailplane flight at 60 acres is nearly 6 hours. These planes soar from thermal to thermal, and on a good day the only limitation on your flight time is the amount of juice left in your batteries or the kink in you neck. Because our only source of lift is a thermal, slope or wave, planes must range over a rather large space. There is no way of predicting where the next thermal may come from, or where it will go once you’re in it. On the other hand, very often planes are searching for lift, sinking closer and closer to the ground, till only a few yards up. It is here that they need low airspace free from obstructions and room to avoid collisions with other planes.
Although the pilot has remote control of the airplane, situations arise where control is lost. Some of those situations may include mechanical failure, electrical failure, excessive weather, radio interference, collision with another airplane and, of course, rookie mistakes. So far, the SASS safety record has been flawless.
Currently, the air space that we fly in is limited by the soccer fields to the north and the neighborhoods to the east and south east. Our usable airspace centers on 60 acres south and extends from the west thru about 110 degrees to the south east.
SASS pilots are required by King County Ordinance to carry several million dollars in liability insurance. In addition, SASS provides site liability coverage to King County.
The best possible field for flying this type of airplane is a large cut-grass covered field without any trees, fences, landscaping, buildings, sign posts, soccer goals, blackberry vines, surrounded by additional uninhabited/unused area if possible. Contact of a Free Flight or Remote Control Airplane with a chain link fence, parking lot bollard, parking wheel stop, bicycle rack, parked car or concrete building would result in its destruction.
Park “improvements” of this kind are affectionately known as “airplane magnets.” Fields without airplane magnets are friendly to remote control sailplanes.
Safety Requirements for Field Size and Lack of Obstructing Buildings
The size of the field is critical for safety reasons and for flying usability. SASS and the national umbrella organization (The Academy of Model Aerodynamics) have developed extensive safety and multiple use protocols which we observe at the 60 Acres Flying Field.
For safety, an area must be designated for launches, landings, and recovery of larger remote controlled airplanes. This area must be kept largely clear of observers, vehicles, soccer players, and even pilots. The usual designation of the launch, landing, and recovery area has been the Eastern third of the Flying Field.
The center of the field is usually used by flyers of smaller radio controlled sailplanes and free flight gliders. Model rocketeers and slow electric flyers are usually encouraged to fly in the Western portion of the field.
The size of non-obstructed, low altitude flying space and launching area is critical for preventing mid-air collisions between airplanes, and between rockets and airplanes. These collisions do happen, especially with the increase in inexpensive, high speed, electric planes. The main prevention of mid-air collisions is adequate flying, launching, and landing space. Even “improved” parking areas will have a negative impact on launching, landing, and flying space.
Note that most model sailplanes spend the majority of their time attempting to catch thermals at fairly low altitudes, and may be quickly forced down by downdrafts. Another reason to eliminate “sailplane magnets.”
A secondary prevention of mid-air collisions, safety violations, frequency control and rookie mistakes is the excellent supervision of the field provided by the SASS club. Besides the day to day operations, SASS advertises a beginner night, every Wednesday during the entire flying season. SASS performs safety checks on the aircraft and radio, teaches the use of safe frequency control, experienced pilots first fly the airplane and either stand by or thru a “Buddy Box” make sure that the plane returns safely to the field while flown by the rookie pilot.
Prior Efforts to Change the use of 60 Acres South and the Political Response.
Traffic is a major concern at the existing facility. During times of a jamboree, it may take as long as one-half an hour to travel several thousand feet down 116th Ave. N.E. The traffic and lack of parking is quite excruciating. The overflow parking continues all the way up the hill, down both sides of the slough and in many cases people are actually parking on the slough walk-path. Several years ago I was talking with a Redmond police officer, who was ticketing cars parked on the South half of 116th Ave. N.E. There isn’t enough shoulder to completely park a car off the road. The wheels were a foot or two inside of the fog line on the edge of the road. On that particular day, he ran out of tickets and had to have a patrol car bring additional ticket books to him so that he could continue ticketing people. On subsequent occasions, the City of Redmond simply started towing cars.
The road surface was recently redone. However, because of the way and the manner in which the resurfacing was accomplished, there is actually less room to park on the shoulders now than there was before.
In a letter from Michael Wilkins, Manager of the King County Natural Resources and Parks dated February 9, 1990, to Don Martin, the President of the Lake Washington Youth Soccer Association, he states in part:
On Thursday, January 1, 1990, Linda Doherty, Chief of Recreation and Facilities Use Management, and Sandy Spence, Recreation Coordinator, met with you and representatives of the groups who use the South portion of 60 Acres Park for the purpose of discussing whether LWYSA’s proposal for developed and managed soccer fields on the property would: (1) curtail or displace current users of the site; and (2) have significant negative impacts on local residences. The park property has traditionally been used as a casual drop-in and a scheduled basis by free-flight and radio controlled model gliders and model rocket hobbyists, and various dog clubs. Local residents of the nearby Valley View Estates also attended.
My understanding is there is no formal resolution of either issue. Before my division can make any final recommendations on your proposal to King County’s elected officials, LWYSA should do the following:
1. Negotiate and send to the Parks Division a written, signed agreement with all currently identified user groups that indicate their support of a specific soccer field development plan, including a mutually acceptable plan for scheduled and casual use of the site.
2. Study the impact of traffic, parking and noise generated by LWYSA soccer fields currently located on the North portion of the park, and by fields proposed for the South Area; and develop recommendations for mitigating any negative impacts. (Exhibit 9)
We have only rumors, that LWYSA did actually perform a traffic mitigation study. The rumor is that the cost of mitigating traffic impacts on 116th was so cost prohibitive that they decided to look elsewhere.
Tim Hill writes a letter to Doreen Marchione, (March 26, 1990) Mayor of the City of Redmond. It states in part:
To my knowledge, the County’s 60 Acre Park – South is the only public park on the Eastside that is topographically suitable and available for dog trials and model glider and rocket hobbyists. Park users come from a large geographic area including Seattle, unincorporated King County and Eastside urban cities. King County’s elected officials represent all constituent groups, and the King County Parks Division is obligated to weigh and balance a broad spectrum of local and regional interests. At the same time, King County recognizes the need for soccer fields to serve the eastside soccer players, many of whom reside in the City of Redmond. (Exhibit 10)
The traffic issues were address both by Doreen Marchioni, the Mayor of the City of Redmond in 1990, and by Tim Hill, the King County Executive at the time. In her letter dated April 9, 1990, to Tim Hill, she states in part:
But we are not certain that we would support expansion of the soccer facilities at this site. That is not the principal reason for our desire to be involved. 60 Acres Park – South is within the corporate limits of the City of Redmond. The rest of the park is served by streets wholly within the city limits. As such, the City has an interest in the traffic and environmental impacts that may be generated from various uses on this site. As you may know, the traffic during peak demand from existing facilities overwhelms the road system adjacent to your facilities. We had hoped that we could be part of the discussion about the alternative uses you are considering so we work as a constructive party in help mitigating future impacts, where possible. (Exhibit 11)
Tim Hill responds on April 25, 1990, in part:
I too am aware of, and concerned about, the potential negative impact and increased concentration of soccer fields that the 60 Acres Park might have on nearby residents in the surrounding area. These same issues were raised by local residents and park user groups during their most recent meetings with the park division. Enclosed is a copy of the letter Mike Wilkins, Park Division Manager, sent to the Lake Washington Youth Soccer Association identifying the noise, traffic, an other concerns which the soccer association must address before King County gives any further consideration of their proposal. It is my understanding that the soccer association has accepted responsibility for researching and addressing these concerns. (Exhibit 12)
As you can see, efforts to modify the use of this field are not new. Soccer’s short term response was to purchase the property across the slew and give up on 60 Acres South. It wasn’t until soccer spent hundred of thousands on that property trying to break the agriculture restrictions, losing at every turn that Soccer again began to drool over 60 Acres South.
Soccer claims that another 7 soccer fields will be built on 60 Acres South. That leaves no room for parking. What LWYSA really needs is additional parking.
Last year, SASS reserved several weekends in the summer for flying events. SASS’s reservations were accepted. At mid summer, SASS was informed by Parks that the reservation dates were being given to LWYSA because LWYSA needed 60 Acres South for additional parking for the events occurring on 60 Acres North. Attached are photographs taken from the hillside overlooking 60 Acres South. As you can see, 60 Acres South is full of cars, not soccer. This photo was taken at about 3pm on Sunday. Matted grass on 60 Acres South indicated that the actual parking (on Saturday) covered approximately 2/3’s again as much as you see in the photo.
The two regional soaring contests scheduled by SASS were cancelled by Parks, at the last minute, for parking.
To add insult to injury, LWYSA then choose not to use the field for parking so it went unused. The same has occurred in 2007. LWYSA rented the field on July 5 thru 8, 2007 for parking. Then it never used the field at all.
The Significant Difference Between Soccer and Sailplanes
60 Acres North is only used for soccer events, Tournaments and Jamborees. Soccer practice does not occur 60 Acres North. Both of my kids played for the LWYSA. They practiced at a local city park and only visited 60 Acres North for weekend tournaments.
Because of frequency issues and the nature of the site required to fly sailplanes (no engines) both sailplane practice and sailplane events occur at 60 Acres South. If there were other places available to practice, SASS would just move. But there are no other places to practice, none. All of our activity, practice and events occur on 60 Acres South.
The Marymore Regional Park Master Plan Update
In June 19, 1995, the King County Council passed the Marymore Master Plan Update. It makes interesting comments about the flying of Remote Controlled Model Airplanes. It states in part:
King County recognizes model aircraft flying is an enjoyable public recreational activity for many citizens.
King County recognizes this is a growing recreational activity.
King County recognizes there is a lack of such public facilities throughout the region.
2.Because model aircraft flying is an emerging recreational activity in King County, the County will seek to establish additional model aircraft fields.
3.Any new locations shall reasonably include the attributes desirable in model aircraft facility including a large 50-60 acre open area, accessibility to urban populations, relatively level terrain, will be no less than five miles from any other radio controlled airfield and tv/radio towers, and will accommodate the proper runway orientation to sun and prevailing winds.
4.Representatives of the model airfield users shall be consulted in the siting and design/development of any new or replacement facilities, and in the development of a management plan for its operation and use.
5.Until a new location is acquired and developed, the model aircraft field use will continue at its present location….(Exhibit 13)
These issues are not new. The Seattle Area Soaring Society is not going away.
King County does not have any Property for The Flying of Sailplanes other than 60 acres South
Mr. Brown’s (King County) email to Loren Steel (current president of SASS) of August 22, 2005 alleges in part.
Relocation was clearly the purpose of multiple site visits conducted with Sherman McKnight in 2003 and subsequent meetings….King County has worked diligently over the last three years with SASS to pursue relocation options for soaring – staff have recommended and met SASS representatives at several different locations throughout the county. (Exhibit 14)
We also take strong exception to the claim that King County has worked “diligently” to find a new location.
The following is a more recent response from King County on the same issue.
We are committed to helping find a long-term home for soaring in King County. However, since an available site is not currently in our system, we are looking for an interim solution.
We identified alternative locations within our existing inventory for soaring as this would have been the fastest way to secure a long-term location. Unfortunately, based on your input it was determined that there are no sites within our existing inventory that meet your needs.
TJ and I will continue to work with SASS and staff from various agencies in order to find a suitable site. Now we are working from a list of landowners that you have forwarded us to find an interim (2+ year based on landowner willingness) site for soaring activities. Please contact me when you and Jim are available and we can discuss further.
Sujata Goel I Strategic Partnerships & Enterprise Initiatives
Although one private property was found, King County has done nothing to determine if it can be secured
The Soccer Association made its first organized effort to grab 60 Acres south in 1985. It managed to sign a 10 year lease with King County for 60 acres north that same year. Organized sports have coveted 60 acres south for more that 20 years. They have spent hundreds of thousands or dollars in their effort. Not withstanding this Herculean effort, the best and natural use of the field remains today. The ONLY field designated for the flying of remote control sailplanes and launching of rockets is 60 Acres South. These activities occur on a daily basis and this field is home to a thriving club and other activities requiring the same, open, non-improved, field.
SASS’s application for an ADOP’s grant, the reduction of expenses and administration and the spending of monies to fix up Park property with out dipping into Parks budget is a win-win solution for Parks. But it was denied.
Because 60 Acres South is a big open piece of property, it is natural to assume that this property can be developed into something that will produced income. However, when viewed from a business/practical position, (traffic concerns, noise and dust concerns along with significant restrictions from Redmond ie height and view restrictions along with night view restrictions and King County ie portions within a 100 year flood plain of a class 1 salmon stream) SASS’s ADOP’s proposal is the highest and best use of the field that would generate a modest amount for Parks and reduce its expenses at the same time.
SASS and several other neighbors did file a lawsuit. SASS was convinced that all its option were exhausted. There is no other King County property suitable for the needs of 60 Acres South current users. A short term lease with a private property owner is simply delaying the extinction of this hobby/sport. It does not provide a long term solution. .
As you can see from this letter, much information on this topic has been collected in the last several years. If you need additional copies or need additional information on a topic, please call and we will provide anything you need.
Finally, we would like to entertain you with a visit to 60 Acres South to see what it is that we do. Many people have heard of it, but few have actually seen a sailplane in flight. I think you would be both surprised and impressed.
If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to call.
Sincerely,
Rick Helgeson