The Fight Over Seattle's 'Wild and Visionary' Boulevard Plan

In a note to the Telegraph on the 15th inst., I called attention to the system of parks and boulevards now being projected by Mr. Schwagerl, superintendent of parks, by and with the advice and consent of the board of park commissioners. That system embraces an area in the city of Seattle of at least 100 square miles, with four main parks—one at Alki, one near the entrance to Salmon Bay, one at Sand Point on Lake Washington, and the other at the Bailey Peninsula on the same lake. These parks are to be connected with each other and the city by a system of boulevards from 150 to 250 feet wide. This wild and visionary scheme would not be worthy of serious consideration were it not for the fact that the promoters are industrious and persistent, and have enlisted the services and sympathies of some very good men in the matter, and worst of all, they are squandering the money of the city in direct violation of law. The park commissioners have no authority or jurisdiction outside of the city parks. The present movement originated at a meeting held in a real estate office. Seven out of ten of the members of this committee are real estate men. Why then do they want these parks purchased outside of the city limits, and this Schwagerl system of boulevards approved by some side action of the city council, unless it be to give a sort of quasi sanction to a map made to sell real estate by? This city is now cursed in a measure beyond computation by these wildcat additions, and real estate has been already boomed until the future is largely discounted.