Lake Forest Park, Washington
Lake Forest Park is a city in King County, Washington just north of the Seattle city limits. A bedroom community by design, most of the city consists of single-family housing on medium to large-sized lots, with an emphasis placed on retaining the natural features of the landscape. Less than 4% of the city land is zoned commercial; most of that is in one location, and there are no industrial areas whatsoever. Notable features include a large amount of lakefront and lakeview residential property, convenient access to the Burke-Gilman Trail, a summertime-only farmer's market, and Third Place Books, a large used and new books store. The population was 13,142 at the 2000 census.
History
Lake Forest Park was founded in 1912 by Ole Hanson and A.H. Reid as one of the Seattle area's first planned communities. Envisioned as a picturesque retreat for professionals, the developers planned roads and lots in strict consideration for natural landmarks.[1] The original prospectus for lot sales declared,
...the strict fiat has gone forth that all the natural beauty must be preserved; that no tree must unwittingly be cut down; that the natural wild flowers must remain; that the streams, the springs, the lake front, the nodding willows, the stately cedar, the majestic fir, the quivering cypress and the homelike maple and all the flora and fauna with which Nature has blessed this lakeshore, must not be defiled by the hand of man. [2]
Until 1914 and completion of the Red Brick Road (now Bothell Way, part of Washington State Route 522) to nearby Kenmore and Bothell, it also marked the literal end of improved roads heading north from Seattle, with best access to points further north and east being by boat across Lake Washington or the Seattle, Lake Shore and Eastern Railroad.
Lake Forest Park officially incorporated on June 20, 1961, in large part to help maintain its specific identity in the face of increasing local development pressing north from Seattle.[3] The town remained small - under 5,000 in population - until the 1990s, when a series of annexations expanded city borders significantly and more than doubled the official population.
The city's only public lake access - the 3/4-acre Lyon Creek Park - was created in the late 1990s on land purchased by the city in 1998. For the prior fifty years, the lot had belonged to Marcia and Robert Morris, who had built a modernist home and a horse stable on the property. Both buildings were torn down as part of the park conversion, which also included replanting the park with 5,000 native shrubs and plants. The replanting portion of the project involved the labor of hundreds of citizen volunteers.[4]
Lake Forest Park Towne Centre, the city's commercial core, hugs Bothell Way on the eastern border of town, not far from the lakeshore. In late 2005, city government began holding public meetings to discuss whether and how to improve this small area in order to develop a higher-density pedestrian-friendly shopping and residential hub.
Geography
Lake Forest Park is located at 47°45′24″N 122°17′23″W / 47.75667°N 122.28972°WInvalid arguments have been passed to the {{#coordinates:}} function (47.756720, -122.289679)Template:GR.
Lake Forest Park is situated at the north end of Lake Washington. The city's southern boundary begins at the city limit of Seattle. To the north, Lake Forest Park ends at the Snohomish county line, where the adjacent towns of Mountlake Terrace and Brier border it. To the east, the city is bounded by Lake Washington and at 55th Avenue NE where the city of Kenmore begins; the Burke-Gilman Trail runs in parallel to the lake shore, following the shoreline into Kenmore to the north, and Seattle to the south. The city's western boundary is at the City of Shoreline's city limit, mostly following 25th Avenue NE.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 9.5 km² (3.7 mi²). 9.2 km² (3.5 mi²) of it is land and 0.3 km² (0.1 mi²) of it (3.28%) is water, much of which consists of shoreline and streams. The two largest streams are Lyon Creek and McAleer Creek, both of which provide habitat for salmon.[5] The shoreline includes three access points to Lake Washington, aside from private homes; two are private beach clubs. The third - and only public - access point is Lyon Creek Park.
Parks
- Horizon View Park
- Animal Acres Park
- Eagle Scout Park
- Blue Heron Park
- Grace Cole Nature Park
- Lyon Creek Park
Neighborhoods
Lake Forest Park Town Centre forms the city's commercial core. This one complex - originally built as a suburban mall - includes the public library, post office, police department, town hall, and approximately 30 shops and small businesses. In the summer, it hosts a large outdoor farmer's market.[6] It is also the location of Third Place Commons, a large public space occupying much of the central building's upper level which serves as the city's social spaces core,[7] and home to Shoreline Community College's Lake Forest Park satellite campus. In the summer and fall, over 5,000 people cycle this area annually, including 3,500 children.[citation needed]
Residential neighborhoods include:
- Horizon View, in the northeast corner of the city, is characterized by its proximity to Horizon View Park, the highest point in Lake Forest Park. The park sits atop a small plateau, approached by several steep hills. Half of the "mountaintop", as some local youth refer to it, is the park, which was improved between 2001 and 2003 with a trail extension, field upgrades, and a new playset. The other half is a reservoir. A treehouse was built by a few students nearby the park and in the north woods.
- Sheridan Beach/Heights, in the southeast corner of the city, is characterized by its proximity to the Sheridan Beach Club, to which its residents have access for a fee of $250 annually.
Demographics
As of the censusTemplate:GR of 2000, there were 13,142 people, 5,029 households, and 3,600 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,433.4/km² (3,716.2/mi²). There were 5,168 housing units at an average density of 563.7/km² (1,461.4/mi²). The racial makeup of the city was 85.32% White, 1.64% African American, 0.43% Native American, 7.94% Asian, 0.11% Pacific Islander, 0.92% from other races, and 3.64% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.24% of the population.
There were 5,029 households out of which 31.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 61.1% were married couples living together, 7.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.4% were non-families. 21.2% of all households were made up of individuals and 6.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.55 and the average family size was 2.97.
In the city the population was spread out with 22.4% under the age of 18, 6.5% from 18 to 24, 26.6% from 25 to 44, 31.5% from 45 to 64, and 13.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 42 years. For every 100 females there were 97.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 93.1 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $74,149, and the median income for a family was $84,316. Males had a median income of $53,164 versus $39,531 for females. The per capita income for the city was $33,419. About 1.3% of families and 3.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 2.3% of those under age 18 and 2.2% of those age 65 or over. Based on per capita income, one of the more reliable measures of affluence, Lake Forest Park ranks 27th of 522 areas in the state of Washington to be ranked.
References
- ^ Stein, A., "Lake Forest Park -- Thumbnail History", HistoryLink.org, 5 December 1998. Online as of 19 April 2007.]
- ^ Alan J. Stein transcribing Ole Hanson, "Lake Forest Park brochure", Seattle, Washington, 1912, held by Shoreline Historical Museum, Shoreline, Washington, 1998.
- ^ "Once a refuge from ' disagreeable things'", Seattle Post-Intelligencer, online as of 19 April 2007.
- ^ Informational signs in Lyon Creek Park, City of Lake Forest Park, March 2007.
- ^ "Request for Proposal: 100 Year Legacy project for Parks, Recreation and Open Space", City of Lake Forest Park, 31 January 2007. Online as of 19 April 2007.]
- ^ Third Place Commons Farmer's Market, thirdplacecommons.org, online as of 19 April 2007.
- ^ Stadler, A., "How a Failing Suburban Mall Became a Beloved Indoor Town Square", Making Places, December 2005.
Further Reading
- Alan J. Stein, Lake Forest Park -- Thumbnail History, HistoryLink.org, Seattle, Washington, 1998
- Alan J. Stein transcribing Ole Hanson, Lake Forest Park brochure, Seattle, Washington, 1912, held by Shoreline Historical Museum, Shoreline, Washington, 1998.
- Our Community, City of Lake Forest Park, Lake Forest Park, Washington, 2006
- History of Lake Forest Park, City of Lake Forest Park, Lake Forest Park, Washington, 2006
