The Morgan Community Association (MoCA) held its quarterly meeting on October 15, featuring updates on public safety, the long-delayed Morgan Junction Park expansion, and statements from Seattle City Council Position 9 candidates, current Councilmember Sarah Nelson and challenger Dionne Foster.

Public safety improves, but property crime remains dominant

The meeting opened with a public safety update from Matt Brown, Crime Prevention Coordinator for the Southwest Precinct, who shared encouraging statistics regarding the decline in reported crime in the area.

Brown reported that year-to-date, the Southwest precinct as a whole is down 16% in total crime. The Morgan neighborhood specifically has seen a 31% decrease in total crime year-to-date. This equates to 218 instances of crime reported, compared to 378 during the same timeframe last year—a 41% decrease. Recent data is even stronger: for the last 30 days, total crimes in Morgan were 10, down from 47 last year, a 78% decrease.

Regarding violent incidents, there were only two shots fired calls year-to-date in the Morgan neighborhood, resulting in no injuries or victims.

When asked about the types of crime being reported, Brown noted that the three highest crimes in the Southwest Precinct are all property crimes:

1. Larceny/Theft: Making up more than half of all crime (about 1,600 instances YTD in the precinct).

2. Vehicle Theft (break-ins).

3. Burglary (breaking into a home).

Brown stressed the importance of reporting suspicious activity or crime, noting that if events are not reported, they are not reflected in the numbers, making it harder for SPD to allocate resources effectively.

Morgan Junction Park Expansion: Moving Ahead After Delays

A major point of discussion was the status of the Morgan Junction Park expansion, a project dating back to 2016. Olivia Reed from Parks reported key progress on the expansion site, which had been previously known for having a large hole.

The "pit has been filled," and hydroseeding is complete. Fencing is currently in place and will remain until the grass is established, which is anticipated to take a few months. Once the fencing is removed, the hydroseeded area will be open to the public on an interim basis until construction begins. Construction is currently anticipated for Winter 2026, meaning the public could access the area for nearly a year.

Design consultants are under contract and are working to finalize the schematic design. Following the design completion, there will be an opportunity for public input, followed by review from the citywide advisory board, the Design Commission. MoCA board members requested that the Parks Department keep them involved in coordinating the timing and location of these community input sessions.

Community members voiced deep frustration over the timeline, noting the land was acquired in 2016, and there is still no park. One resident noted her grandsons were toddlers when the project began, and they are now in college. Reed acknowledged the project's unique challenges, including cost escalations and complications related to COVID-19, which have similarly impacted other landbank sites.

Candidate Positions on Local Issues

Both candidates for Seattle City Council Position 9—Dionne Foster and Sarah Nelson—addressed public safety, the park, and specific legislative priorities.

Dionne Foster

Dionne Foster, a former policy advisor and current educator, introduced herself as someone driven by her personal experience using public investments like Medicaid and down payment assistance to build her life in the city. She advocates for making the city more affordable, increasing housing capacity, and focusing on investments that support a city that is "both safe and connected for everybody".

On public safety, Foster said it means ensuring sufficient police officers to keep response times down. However, she also strongly supports "community safety," which includes investments in the built environment (such as changes to streetscapes to prevent crime) and investing in the behavioral health system and community organizations to intervene before individuals enter the criminal legal system.

Responding to a question about public drug use policy, Foster indicated a different approach than her opponent. She believes the focus should be on increasing capacity in the system for treatment and diversion. She stated, "I don't want to open that back up. ... I did think it was important and do think it's important to make sure that we are trying to focus on and prioritize our limited resources".

Regarding the park expansion delay, Foster acknowledged that the length of time is an issue and that she is aware that parks often acquires sites through land banking but then lacks the money and prioritization for investment. She told the association, "I think that the first thing that we need to make sure that we do is is not have the sort of breakdown in communication that leads to investment and then inaction," and pledged to work with MoCA to dig into the site's specifics.

Foster also emphasized her support for crime prevention through environmental design, stating, "What makes communities the safest is making sure that we're preventing the occurrence".

Sarah Nelson

Councilmember Sarah Nelson, running for re-election, emphasized her experience and track record of delivering results and taking on tough fights. She noted that the city has reversed the trend of losing officers, which began in Q4 of last year.

Nelson identified the fentanyl crisis and addiction as the root cause of crime and a perpetuator of chronic homelessness. She is proud of leading the charge to expand access to on-demand addiction treatment, citing a pilot program started in 2023, which is now set to receive about $1.6 million through the public safety sales tax.

Addressing the park, Nelson called the decade-long inaction "inexcusable". She noted that the Morgan Junction park was not on the list of future parks for improvement when the municipal parks district spending plan was renewed in 2022. She promised to pursue adding the park to the list of projects or at least seeking clarification on the current status from Superintendent Diaz. She stated, "It is inexcusable to acquire land and make promises to the community and do nothing with that".

Nelson spoke strongly against the current city law on public drug use, which includes a "threat of harm to others" clause, arguing it is unnecessary and has resulted in officers failing to make arrests. She believes this inaction is "inexcusable" because people are not being diverted to treatment.

In directly contrasting her positions with her opponent, Nelson asserted that her opponent's stance "sounds a lot like the old council". Nelson highlighted several areas of contrast:

• Nelson supports legislative tools like the "soda and soap" laws to interrupt drug dealing and commercial sexual exploitation markets, while her opponent opposes them.

• Nelson supports the Real-Time Crime Center and expansion of CCTV cameras as technology being used by blue cities to save lives and aid investigations. She noted her opponent opposes this technology.

• Nelson is pushing for immediate action on public safety tools, criticizing her opponent for offering "a lot of promises but not a lot of plans".

• Nelson committed to clearing encampments from playfields and parks, noting that her opponent "will not commit to clearing encampments from playfields and parks".

On accountability for city department heads, Nelson stated that the Council's greatest leverage is the "power of the purse" (the budget) and using provisos to ensure funds are released and projects move forward.

Other Community Issues

In other business, the MoCA board announced there will be no annual Morgan Festival in 2026, citing a lack of "new blood" (volunteers) and additional funding. The group plans to shift focus to "one-off kind of ways" to activate public spaces.

The association also discussed the recent passage of Amendment 37 related to the city's Comprehensive Plan update. The amendment, which MoCA had advocated for, encourages increased density (up zones) in certain areas while decreasing zoning capacity in areas with inadequate infrastructure, such as those adjacent to steep slopes. Specifically, the amendment narrowed the proposed Morgan Junction Urban Center boundary by removing a small 6.5-acre area near Beveridge Place Southwest, deemed "less appropriate for high density housing" due to narrow streets and lack of sidewalks