Dave Ross has gripe for Seattle Mayor Mike McGinn

Dave Ross was very surprised to find a P-Patch at the top of the Seattle Center parking garage when he was searching for a spot. (Image: UpGarden P-Patch)

Seattle Mayor Mike McGinn agreed to come on The Ross and Burbank Show this week. The topics for discussion included the Seattle arena deal, developments with SPD reform, the mayor’s position on pot initiative 502 and one complaint the city official may not have been prepared for.

“I got one more thing to ask you,” Dave Ross said at the conclusion of the radio interview.

“I was parking at Seattle Center. It was really full, so I go to the roof–”

[Sound of mayor laughing]

“There’s a P-Patch up there!” said Ross. “You’ve got a P-Patch on the roof of the Seattle Center parking deck. Of all the places in Seattle, why would you take 25 spaces for a P-patch?”

Co-host Luke Burbank confronted the mayor, asking if this is part of his war on cars.

“Here we go,” said the mayor, who moved into an explanation for the placement of the P-Patch.

McGinn says the area on lower Queen Anne is pretty dense and there are not a lot of other open spaces that could serve for such a purpose. He says they considered the cost in loss of revenue from the spaces.

“I’m like OK Robert [Robert Nellams, Seattle Center Director], what are we talking about in terms of revenue for the city in giving up those spaces? We could get Dave Ross’ dollars. We could have gotten Dave Ross’ $4.”

Nellams apparently told the mayor there are only six days a year when the top deck of the Seattle Center parking structure gets much use.

“We’ve got hundreds of days of the year for people to grow their kale and beans and things,” says McGinn. “So in the trade off of schemes and the balancing we do of city priorities, that P-Patch for all those lower Queen Anne residents and all the community, and fresh healthy food that we could get up there, versus six days of parking. I think Robert made the right call.”

By JAMIE GRISWOLD, MyNorthwest.com Editor