It's officially spring time and with the warmer weather brings sunshine and blooming flowers. Did you know that Licton Springs has a community p-patch at College Way & North 92nd St?

What is a P-Patch?

P-Patch is the name given to community gardens that are managed by the Seattle P-Patch Community Gardening Program. The P-Patch program oversees 88 P-Patches over 32 acres throughout the city. Though a P-Patch, neighbors can come together to plan, plant, and grow community.

What is the history of Licton Spring's P-Patch?

The Licton Springs P-Patch dates back to 1976 as a student-driven initiative at North Seattle College. While the original community garden ended up as a school parking lot, in 2013 the North Seattle College Sustainability Committee revived the initiative. After over a year of hard work from the community digging up land, building plots, and adding compost, a community garden of 67 plots and 15,000 sq ft was developed in Licton Springs!

How can I get involved?

For information about volunteering, events, and general p-patch activities, email [email protected] or visit the community website at www.lictonspringsppatch.wixsite.com/seattle. The next community work party will be on Sunday, 4/15 from 11am to 1pm at the garden. The next leadership meeting will be on the first Wednesday of May (5/2) at 6pm at the OCEE building room 229 on North Seattle College campus.

Want to stay up to date on all the community events and meetings going on in Licton Springs and surrounding areas? There are now a few more ways to do just that:

1. Check out the Licton Springs Community Calendar.
2. Discover all the Ways to Get Involved including the community groups available to join.
3. Finally, if you want to stay connected to LoveLicton there are many ways including a dedicated Facebook Group, Instagram, and RSS Feed.

Don't see your event or community group listed? Contact us at: [email protected].

See you around the neighborhood!

Licton Springs is looking to become even more well prepared for the urban demands of being a < 14 minute light rail ride from downtown. It already has relatively high side-walk coverage and population density for the North Seattle area. It is also full of pro-growth and housing community groups - with no noticeable Nimby presence. And, with the light rail approaching in a few more years, it appears the community will be well positioned to take on the growth it desires. The neighbourhood has been seeing additional improvements planned and completed at an unprecedented pace. It's hard just to keep track of all the projects going on! To try and make it a bit easier: I've gone ahead and taken inventory of all the projects I'm aware of and mapped them out by location, start time, and end time.

Did I miss anything? If so, please let me know in a comment below. In any case, we certainly have an exciting few years to look forward to!

As the weather gets nicer - if you find yourself wanting to see some ducks you may think the best place to do so would be Green Lake or one of Seattle's many parks. However, the best place to catch a glimpse of the local duck population in Seattle is right here in Licton Springs. Located on N 90th St between Densmore and Ashworth Ave N and near the new school: Pilling's Pond remains as a reminder of Chuck Pilling's legacy. This is the spot where he became the first successful breeder of the hooded merganser, bufflehead and harlequin ducks. Here you can still find hundreds of ducks enjoying the pond. While there has been some concern about the future of the pond due to a sale, the new owners have expressed their desire to keep the legacy going and have allowed Dave Kunkle to continue the maintenance of this great North Seattle landmark.

NOTE: You can't enter the pond but can safely view the ducks from behind the wired fence.

So, as you enjoy this warmer weather, take some time to appreciate Pilling's Pond, its many duck inhabitants, and the legacy of Chuck Pilling.

I was able to make it to yesterday's meeting at Neighborcare Health to discuss the development of the new pedestrian bridge and wanted to share my main takeaways:

• The college has expressed approval with the new design alleviating concerns that disagreements would lead to no bridge.

• The new design decreases costs and the maximum slope while improving visibility and addressing the concerns of North Seattle College.

• The project has secured all necessary funding contingent on it being complete before the light rail opens.

• It will take 10-15 minutes to walk from the base of the bridge to the entrance of the transit center.

• The bridge will incorporate scenic overlooks and art installation(s).

• There is no bike/pedestrian or direction lane separation planned for the bridge. Instead, users will be expected to utilize the generously wide (16ft) path to follow standard right of way rules. Additionally, visual and tactile cues will be added near mixing areas, transition zones, and overlooks providing helpful cues to bicyclists.

• VIA Architecture expressed pride in their work to create an affordable design that will still be an enjoyable experience to walk over, highlight the beauty inherit on both sides of I5, and act as another North Seattle landmark.

• Talking with Eric from VIA Architecture, I learned that they use VR to verify what a realistic experience of their designs will be once built.

I also learned about a ton of other exciting things planned for Licton Springs and the surrounding area that will be rolling out over the next few years. Expect a follow-up post with a full overview of all these changes and when we can expect them.