Residents Fearful About Carkeek Park Project -- Critics Worry Construction Will Harm Creek

Every morning Janice Miller's two dogs prance at her feet, reminding her that it's time for their walk through Carkeek Park's forest.

Their daily trek takes them along a trail that follows Piper's Creek through much of Carkeek Park - bordered by Puget Sound to the west, the Blue Ridge and Crown Hill neighborhoods to the south, North Park to the east and Broadview to the north.

Miller, a retired social worker, sees the forest as a refuge from the bustle of city living - a place where she can walk and enjoy a closeness to nature.

But she's afraid that a Metro construction project expected to begin in October will be as disruptive as a bulldozer in the park, literally plowing through parts of Piper's Creek.

In two months, Metro is expected to begin the first of its Carkeek Transfer/CSO Facilities Project, said Brian Russell, Metro's manager for the project.

The project eventually will run a pipe through Piper's Creek in four places, as part of a stormweather-pump facility that will be added to the existing water-treatment plant in Carkeek Park.

Although Metro acknowledges that the construction will have significant effects on Piper's Creek, Metro is committed to restoring the creek and protecting its marine life, Russell said.

``There's going to be certain impacts,'' Russell said. ``But we'll work to restore it to as good or better condition than it is now. Metro is committed to doing a better job.''

A conditional-use permit for Metro's construction plans is being studied by the city hearing examiner's office. Metro expects to be notified of the decision by Aug. 17, Russell said.

Metro has already begun consulting with the state Department of Fisheries to ensure disruption to marine life is minimized.

None of the projects should hurt the return of salmon, Russell said. Construction work will not cut through either Venema or Mohlendorph creeks, tributaries to Piper's Creek.

Members of the Carkeek Watershed Community Action Project have planted fish in Venema Creek for more than a decade, hoping to revive the salmon run. Only a few fish have returned, except for 1987, when 47 salmon made the run.

The Carkeek watershed includes Piper's Creek, Venema Creek and Mohlendorph Creek. Piper's Creek, the largest of the three, picks up a good deal of urban runoff.

Urban runoff includes just about everything, from motor oil to bacteria from animal waste. Antifreeze, pesticides and other chemical pollutants also flow into Piper's Creek through storm runoff. After traversing the woods and meadows of the park, the creek empties into the Sound.

Janice Miller and other members of the Carkeek Watershed Community Action Project cite the importance of reviving the salmon run and the fragility of some forest vegetation in their opposition to Metro's project.

``Our feeling is that there's a lot of things that have been done to the creek that shouldn't have been done to the creek,'' said Nancy Malmgren, CWCAP founder. ``Historically, it was a salmon-spawning area.''

But Malmgren said the Carkeek project could provide Metro an opportunity to help right some of the environmental wrongs people have heaped into streams in the park.

``Metro can begin to take care of some of the problems that have been done previously,'' she said. ``They can begin by taking good care of the stream, taking care of fish passages. Metro really has the opportunity now to do the right thing. If they're going to go through the creek anyway, they might as well put it back in better condition than they found it.''

In addition to worries about damage to Piper's Creek, CWCAP members say they fear the influx of construction workers, vehicles and other equipment will not only be noisy but also will harm Carkeek's wooded meadows.

One option Metro is considering involves paving the meadow area near Carkeek's main entrance.

Preliminary construction plans suggest paving the meadow would reduce dust and cut down repair costs to the area where construction workers will park.

Total cost for the Carkeek project, which will be financed by Metro and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, will be about $26 million, according to Metro.

The agency said it wants to complete the first phase of the project within one year.

The first phase would begin on Eighth Avenue Northwest, south of Market Street, and proceed north on Eighth Avenue Northwest to Northwest 90th Street.

The second phase of the project, expected to begin February 1991, would run the pipe through Piper's Creek. Construction on the pump station system is expected to begin in April.

Miller and Malmgren said the yearlong intrusion of heavy equipment and construction workers is bound to hurt the forest.

``Can you imagine - trucks driving through this forest?'' said Miller, as her two dogs trudged by her side.