City plans neighborhood P-Patch for roof of Seattle Center parking garage | Home & Garden

Gardeners and tomato plants will soon replace drivers and Escalades on top of a large parking garage at the Seattle Center.

“It’s kind of this peaceful, quiet spot in the middle of the hubbub with great views,” said Laura Raymond, levy projects coordinator for the city’s P-Patch Program.

The Seattle Department of Neighborhoods hopes to have Queen Anne’s newest community P-Patch up and running on a portion of the roof of the Mercer Street garage at the intersection of Third Avenue and Mercer by this spring.

The 2008 Parks and Green Spaces Levy, which is funding the new garden, set aside $2 million to fund at least four new P-Patches on public land (the Department of Neighborhoods will be stretching that to approximately 20 gardens).

The lower Queen Anne area was specifically mentioned in the levy as a neighborhood that is currently under-served by P-Patches.

“It’s hard to find property in that area,” Raymond said. “It’s dense. It’s pretty much built up.”

She said most of the open space in the neighborhood is private parking lots, and the city doesn’t have the funds to buy those.

Luckily, the Seattle Center – owner of the Mercer Street Garage – is interested in showcasing increased sustainability, including rooftop gardens, so there was great potential for collaboration, Raymond said.

The Department of Neighborhoods received permission to host a P-Patch for the next three to five years on the roof of the parking garage, which the Seattle Center eventually plans to demolish.

Raymond said its very unique for Seattle to do a rooftop public community garden, and there will be a lot of learning throughout the process.

Unlike other kinds of green roofs, such as the one at the nearby Gates Foundation, vegetable gardens need deep, nutrient-rich soil, so weight will be an issue. Raymond said the Department of Neighborhoods will be employing a structural engineer to make sure the future garden will be safe and won’t damage the garage.

The rooftop P-Patch will also be a bit of an experiment for gardeners, whose plants will have to contend with more intense sun exposure and more wind, she said.

The biggest challenge for the city will be to get the P-Patch up and running by the Seattle Center’s Next 50 celebration this spring, when it will be part of its sustainability demonstration.

Raymond said the Department of Neighborhoods is going to need a lot of community help to get the garden growing. P-Patches are a reflection of the community they are in, so neighborhood input is very important, she said.

The Department of Neighborhoods is hosting an informational meeting on the Mercer Street Garage P-Patch from 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Nov. 17 in the Shaw Room at Seattle Center, located at 305 Harrison St. There will be a community design process this winter, and work parties could start as early as March.

P-Patch plots will be awarded based on volunteer hours, so Queen Anne residents who want to get involved are invited to email laura.raymond@seattle.gov or phi.huynsh@seattle.gov