Seattle Will Rename Jackson Park, and You Can Suggest the New Name

Jackson Park in north Seattle is getting a new name, and the city wants your ideas. Mayor Katie Wilson on Friday directed Seattle Parks and Recreation to start a community process to rename the park at 1000 NE 135th St. Suggestions are due Monday, Dec. 14.

The park is named for President Andrew Jackson, whose policies forced Native American peoples off their ancestral lands. Parks says community members have raised concerns about honoring that history with a public park and asked for a name that better fits the land and Seattle's values.

How to suggest a name

Send your idea, with a short explanation of the name and how it meets the city's criteria, by Dec. 14:

• Email: [email protected]
• Mail: Seattle Parks and Recreation, Parks Naming Committee, 100 Dexter Ave. N, Seattle, WA 98109

Under the city's Park Naming Policy, the Parks Naming Committee weighs each suggestion against:

• the history of the land
• distinctive natural or geological features
• the park's geographic location
• historical or cultural significance

A park can also be named for a person who has been dead for at least three years and made a significant local contribution to parks, recreation or culture. Parks says it especially welcomes names that reflect the area's Indigenous history and connection to the land. The committee sends its recommendations to the Parks superintendent, who makes the final call.

A survey on how you use the park

Parks also plans a survey about how people use Jackson Park today, including safety, cleanliness, trail conditions and how well it connects to nearby neighborhoods. Look for it on the Parks blog, on social media and on signs with QR codes in the park itself.

Free golf lessons and a say on Nov. 21

If you would rather share your thoughts in person, Seattle Parks and Troon Golf are hosting a Community Swing day at Jackson Park Golf Course on Saturday, Nov. 21, from 3 to 6 p.m. There will be free 10 minute golf lessons, free use of the Toptracer range technology, club fittings, music, face painting, discounted green fees and barbecue specials. Parks staff will have a table where you can learn about the naming process, take the survey and mark up a map of how you get to and use the park.

The golf course itself is a big part of the park: an 18 hole course, a nine hole executive course, a driving range and practice areas, along with green space, natural areas and walking trails.

Getting there by light rail

The renaming comes as getting to Jackson Park by transit has become much easier. Sound Transit opened Pinehurst Station near NE 130th Street on Sept. 30, with 1 Line and 2 Line trains every four to five minutes. Using OpenStreetMap's locations, we measured the straight line distance from the station to the middle of the golf course at less than half a mile. Parks notes that planned walking and biking improvements could connect the park even better to the neighborhoods around it.

What we do not know yet

Parks has not said how many names the committee will recommend, when the superintendent will decide, or when new signs would go up. We will follow the process and report the new name when it is chosen.