Theatergoers protest plan to move disabled parking

Robert and Marcia Condon are season-ticket holders to the Seattle Repertory Theatre and they park in a disabled parking lot tucked into an alley between the Rep and Intiman Theatre.

Condon, a retired surgeon, said his wife has two artificial knees and severe arthritis, and can walk only 50 feet without stopping.

He is outraged that Seattle Center is now telling him he'll have to park in the Mercer Garage, a block on a sloping grade away from the Rep.

"They didn't consult with any disabled organization, they didn't talk to anyone," said Condon, 80, who lives in Clyde Hill and has been a season-ticket holder for a decade. "They didn't talk to the one community that's important, and that's the disabled. That's just wrong."

Seattle Center said the 13 disabled spots are being removed to build a 1 ½-acre Peter Donnelly Memorial Garden between the two theaters. Donnelly, a longtime arts advocate, died in March.

Deborah Daoust, Seattle Center spokeswoman, said the Center got a grant, matched by the city, to build the garden. She said 18 new disabled spots in the Mercer Garage will be next to the elevators, and there will be drop-off spots in front of the theater.

That doesn't satisfy Condon, who said both he and his wife are disabled. "If we can't park close by, we'll probably turn in our tickets and stop going," he said.

City Councilmember Tom Rasmussen, chair of the Parks and Seattle Center Committee, said the Mercer Garage is not the right solution.

"This has been a concern I've raised with the Seattle Center going back a couple of months," he said. "People who have a difficult time walking need to be able to get into the center of the Seattle Center fairly easily. The area being removed is one of the closest places for disabled parking."

Rasmussen said he'll fight efforts to move the parking to the Mercer Garage. "I think we can get people closer in, and I hope the Seattle Center will accommodate it," said Rasmussen. "If that's the only thing they're going to do, the parking garage, it's not good enough. My concern is having access to all of the Seattle Center."

Katie Jackman, spokeswoman for the Rep, said the disabled-parking issue "is definitely a concern for us. We're always concerned about accessibility."

The Rep and the city sent out notices last week, letting ticket holders know about the parking changes. The city plans to tear up the parking lot in October at the beginning of the Rep season.

Jackman said the Rep has been fielding complaints from ticket holders. "We knew this wasn't going to be easy," she said.

"This is cruel to people," said Creighton Depew, who parked in the disabled lot for a recent Intiman production. His wife, Lois, also disabled, "is furious" about the parking changes. "I'm not against gardens, but this is a necessity," she said.

Creighton Depew said his wife has three joint replacements and arthritis. "We come two hours early so we can park here," he said.

Condon wonders whether eliminating the parking spots is legal. Under the Americans with Disabilities Act, "accessible parking spaces must be located on the shortest accessible route of travel to an accessible facility entrance. An accessible route must always be provided from the accessible parking to the accessible entrance."

"This may violate the law," said Condon. "It violates the spirit of the community."

Daoust said the new park, the Theater Commons, was developed as part of a proposed theater district included in the Seattle Center master plan and has been discussed in more than 60 public meetings.

The park is being funded by a $1 million grant, with an additional $500,000 from the Seattle Center Foundation and a city matching grant of $1.5 million.

In the letter to ticket holders, the city enclosed a prepaid coupon for the Mercer Garage and a map showing the routes to the theaters. Disabled motorists now pay between $7 and $10 to park in the handicapped stalls; it will be the same price in the Mercer Garage.

But that doesn't satisfy those who need the handicap stalls.

"This is so un-Seattle," said Bill Anderson, from Bainbridge Island, who parked in the handicap stalls by the two theaters. "I can't believe it. It's ridiculous."

Susan Gilmore: 206-464-2054 or sgilmore@seattletimes.com