BY SHANNON PRIEBE

It was once the source of joy and fond memories for children who went there. Now it's a source of conflict.

The old Maple Leaf School site in the Meadowbrook neighborhood could once more bring joy to residents in the area as a park or it could bring relief from crime as a housing development.

Residents who live near the Maple Leaf School site stand divided over the future of the 2.86-acres that have lain empty since the school was demolished in 1990.

At that time the Seattle School District had decided to sell the property, which is zoned for single-family housing on at least 7,200-square-foot lots, to developers.

In 1997, members of the Meadowbrook Community Council circulated a petition to convince the School District to sell them the property to convert it into a park which would include a detention pond and a playground.

The park has since been redesigned as an athletic field that would include a walking path. During the off-season, the park would be flooded with water from 11-acres of diverted water.

By diverting the water to the Maple Leaf School site, it is expected to help the health of Thornton Creek by reducing the amount of water in the area.

Two years later, the Meadowbrook Council took a vote to adopt a position on the issue, but it resulted in a tie of 27 supporting housing and 29 supporting a park. The council opted to remain neutral.

Other groups such as the Thornton Creek Alliance and Parks Department have written letters to the School District in support of a park and the Lake City Area Comprehensive Plan for the Thornton Creek watershed management has mentioned the idea in its action plan.

The problem, however, lies in the fact that the Meadowbrook Open Space Committee can't locate a secure source of funding for the park and that, currently, plans are in a holding pattern.

"If the School District were to put it up for sale tomorrow, it would sell to a developer," said Kathleen Carr of the Open Space Committee, whose goal is to keep public property. "I don't know anyone it would help as housing."

Chris Collison and his family who live above the school site think differently. They believe that housing the School District promised in 1979 would help reduce the amount of crime in the neighborhood.

Collison recalled the time he saw a juvenile pulled out what he believed to be a semi-automatic pistol and display it to his friend in broad day light.

"It's my perception that people engage in activities when they think there is no one to look out their windows and see them," said Collison, who lives in his parents' house while he finishes a business obligation. His mother, Andrea Collison, added that her son's car was stolen from in front of the house.

The Collisons are not the only ones who have had problems with unsavory activity. Chad Bolender, a neighbor of the Collisons, said he picked up 27 empty beer bottles as well as soggy pizza boxes from his drive way.

Carr disagrees.

"As long as this field has been vacant there has never been an incident, the police have never come," said Carr, who also lives across from the school site. "Nobody is going to do anything. It's like a fish bowl." She added that the Open Space Committee is keeping mind the ability of people to hide in the park, and is not planning to build any out buildings.

Increased safety is not the only reason why Collison believes that housing would be more beneficial. The revenue generated from the sale and taxes on the site could far out weigh the use of open space, he said, adding: "The lost property tax every year could be going to schools and students."

There is no word yet as to when the School District might put the site up for sale.