Planning Underway for Improvements at the Dearborn Street End

On February 27, members of the Leschi Community Council met with Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT) staff, neighboring condominium residents, and local Life Scouts to discuss plans for improving the Dearborn Street End.

Omar Akkari, SDOT’s Shoreline Street Ends Program Coordinator, shared a draft concept plan for the site. The proposal focuses on replacing the existing lawn with native plantings and a defined pathway while also refreshing the two existing benches. The goal is to create a welcoming space that balances shoreline habitat, public access, and the views that neighbors enjoy today.

Preserving the lake view is a key priority in the design. Taller plants would be placed around the edges of the space, while the center area would remain lower to maintain sightlines to the water. Maintaining visibility into the site is also an important safety consideration. One idea discussed was planting red-flowering currant along the condominium side of the street end.

Urban Forestry staff will help determine the best placement for new trees, including a slow-growing shore pine. Any trees planted will be selected and located with views in mind and are expected to remain relatively modest in height. Another possibility is a smaller willow that would reach roughly 15 feet at maturity. As trees grow, they will be limbed up over time to help preserve views of the lake.

Several groundcover and shoreline plantings were also discussed. Low-growing strawberries may be used along the slope, while the heavily shaded southern edge of the site will require shade-tolerant plants. Bullrushes are also being considered along the shoreline to help stabilize the bank and improve water quality.

Because the site includes underground utilities such as sewer lines, planting locations will need to account for required offsets and infrastructure constraints. Tree limbs and root systems must also stay within certain limits, which may affect the final placement of plantings. Akkari emphasized that the Street Ends program works to balance multiple needs—including public access, shoreline habitat, neighborhood safety, and preserving views of the water.

The pathway through the space will likely be gravel in the long term, though mulch may be used initially to define the path.

The first phase of work will take place soon. Life Scouts will host a work party the first weekend in April to remove sod, add mulch, and spruce up the benches. Native plantings will be installed in the fall, when cooler temperatures and seasonal rains will help the plants establish.

Next summer, Leschi volunteers will also be needed to help water the young plants during their first growing season.

Please note that the concept plan shared at the meeting is still a draft, and plant locations may shift as SDOT Urban Forestry reviews the site and final infrastructure offsets are confirmed.

~Nikola Davidson