Volunteer Park Conservatory Closing?

The Volunteer Park Conservatory Needs Your Help! 

We've put together a few easy ways for YOU to make an impact!  

The Volunteer Park Conservatory, a Seattle icon, the crown jewel of Seattle’s beautiful Volunteer Park, has been a refuge for young and old for generations. The Conservatory, a favorite tourist destination, is just two years away from its 100th Anniversary. Though the Conservatory survived the Great Depression, this beloved landmark might not survive pending budget cuts to reduce the City’s $50 million budget shortfall. It seems inconceivable that the Conservatory could close, but insiders are very concerned.

 Parks says: “Everything is on the table.” No decisions will be made until the City Budget Office speaks at the end of April, but major cutbacks will occur mid-2010 and in 2011.

A Persistent Rumor says: The cuts are a done deal. The Conservatory could close permanently or have partial closures that will damage the plant collections.

 It’s hard to separate fact from fiction when there is no formal public comment or meetings scheduled to address the Conservatory closing, whether partial, full, permanent or temporary.

 The clock is ticking. The budget, in draft form through this summer, will be finalized in September. Please let the Mayor, the City Council, and Parks know now how you feel about the Conservatory closing (real or rumored). Whatever is decided (or not), make your opinions count now. Put your taxpayer and voter views on the City’s radar.

Contact Mayor McGinn with your message in support of Parks.
(206) 684-4000

Contact Councilmember Jean Godden, Chair of the Finance and Budget Committee, with your message in support of Parks. (206) 684-8807

Write City Councilmember Sally Bagshaw, Chair of the Parks
and Seattle Center Committee (206) 684-8801

Email the Parks Deputy Superintendent, Christopher Williamsat (206) 684-4136

Send comments to the Seattle Parks Department

Read the Friends of the Conservatory Newsletter

Check out the CHS Capitol Hill Seattle blog and comments

Cast 3 votes for “Keep Volunteer Park Conservatory Open”
in the Mayor’s Ideas for Seattle suggestion box. Add com-
ments.

Comment ideas:
The Volunteer Park Conservatory is a special place because . . . It would be a great loss to Seattle if the Conservatory were to close because . . . Although budget cuts are inevitable, these are some reasons why the Conservatory should be spared . . . [Explain what the
Conservatory means to you and why].

Some ideas from the Northwest Garden History Blog: