Great news... Thanks to all of our efforts. Read below article by John Colwell: Parks Puts Hold on Museum Expansion The superintendent of Seattle parks has directed the Seattle Art Museum to "pause" the proposed expansion of their Asian art museum in a city-owned building in Volunteer Park. Citing the concerns of community members and park commissioners regarding a host of issues surrounding plans to construct a large addition on park land, Superintendent Jesus Aguirre told SAM's director to, essentially, go back to the drawing board. Seattle voters approved an infrastructure remodel of the aging building, but a dramatic expansion plan later added to the project raised red flags about damage to the national landmark park. Lawyers for the museum asked the city for specific zoning changes to allow up to 15,000 square feet of construction in the park, alerting the city and community to likely conflicts with law prohibiting such activity. The parks superintendent is asking SAM Director Kim Rorschach to address concerns including finances, community benefits and the history of the museum linking the controversial expansion to what was originally only a plan for building restoration. Perhaps most significantly, the museum leadership is tasked with assessing feasible alternatives, something community groups have found lacking in SAM's proposals, which to date have offered only one option: a 50-foot-tall addition on the east side of the current building. Aguirre referenced city Initiative 42, which expressly mandates the preservation of park land. Advocates for the park and museum have been exploring alternatives to the taking of open park space. Ideas for museum growth and details about the entire project can be seen at https://thinkagainsaam.org and at http://protectvolunteerpark.org. Another issue was raised by the parks superintendent in asking the museum director to describe how this $50 million project on city land will benefit "undeserved" members of the community. While the park itself remains public in the broadest sense, many questions about museum accessibility remain unanswered. In addition to addressing Seattle Parks Department concerns, SAM leadership still must contend with similar major issues raised by both the Seattle Landmarks Protection Board and the Seattle Department of Construction and Inspections. _________________ Thank you for joining us to protect the park. Please visit: https://thinkagainsaam.org/about/a-structural-engineers-viewpoint/ to read a Structural Engineers letter of support. And please join our photo event: Volunteer Park & What it Means to You? https://thinkagainsaam.org/park-art/ Keep sharing our petition with others to sign. Please put us up on facebook. Thank you! We at PVP will continue our fight until it is clear Volunteer Park is no longer threatened. Protect Volunteer Park Team http://protectvolunteerpark.org/