Tag Archives: lake washington

Seattle Police says will pause ‘directed patrols’ at Denny Blaine, OPA investigating — UPDATE

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(Image: Seattle Parks)

The Seattle Police Department tells CHS it is pausing “directed patrols” at Denny Blaine Park in the wake of outcry of its enforcements efforts around nudity at the popular nude beach.

A spokesperson for the department responded Wednesday as city officials including Mayor Bruce Harrell weighed in on the concerns raised by the weekend police and the park’s longtime use as a nude beach the community.

SPD tells CHS the incident has also been referred to the Office of Police Accountability following a public complaint about the department and officer actions.

CHS reported here on SPD’s clearance of sunbathers from the park Sunday and reported threats of trespass to one park goer who initially refused.

City officials made it clear this week they were not going to stand behind the department on the issue. Continue reading →

Keep Denny Blaine Nude? Neighbors sue city over ‘public masturbation, public sex and other types of indecent exposure, drug use, unlawful public nudity, environmental damage to the shoreline, and scofflaw parking’

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(Image: Denny Blaine Park for All)

Homeowners in the wealthy neighborhood surrounding Denny Blaine Park and nude beach are suing the city over its management of the lakefront public space.

“It is now a regional venue for criminal and uncivil behavior that includes public masturbation, public sex and other types of indecent exposure, drug use, unlawful public nudity, environmental damage to the shoreline, and scofflaw parking that prevents fire trucks and ambulances from reaching neighborhood homes,” the complaint from lawyers representing the Denny Blaine Park for All “association of concerned neighbors” reads.

The lawsuit was sent to Seattle media and television stations this week but is not yet available from the King County Superior Court.

The Seattle Times posted a copy of the complaint Wednesday.

The lawsuit from Seattle’s Foster Garvey PC firm is a major wrinkle in any efforts hoped to bridge the gaps between area homeowners, Seattle Parks, and the nudist and queer communities working to “Keep Denny Blaine Nude” while also addressing concerns about access, cleanliness, and safety around the park. Continue reading →

Seattle Parks to hold public meeting on Denny Blaine play area

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Seattle Parks and Recreation finally issued a press release this week announcing its planned public meeting this Wednesday night for citizens “to learn about and provide input for the Denny Blaine Park Play Area project.”

Last month, CHS broke the news on the meeting and the hush hush planning backed by an even more quiet private donor to squeeze a kid’s play area into the grassy public park popular with the many communities who have made the space a refuge for enjoying the multimillion-dollar shores of Lake Washington in the nude. Continue reading →

City of Seattle planning addition of ‘children’s play area’ to popular nude hangout Denny Blaine Park — UPDATE: ‘Private donation’

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Full disclosure: CHS has never been to Denny Blaine but if we had, we would have brought an umbrella (Image: CHS)

With an wet El Niño Seattle winter around the corner, you might be thinking of warmer days on the Capitol Hill Riviera and hot summer visits to Dykekiki Beach — also known as Denny Blaine Park.

A new, little talked about plan could change the popular park’s place in Seattle’s cultures and communities that fully celebrate the city’s most public spaces.

On the table at Seattle Parks is a plan that calls for the creation of a small children’s play area in the park “to address,” the parks department says, “the current gap for play areas in the neighborhood.”

The kids play feature could also mark an important change for the park’s longtime destination for enjoying Seattle lake vibes in the nude. Seattle Parks is holding a community meeting on the planned project in early December.

Park visitor Jesse Miranda tipped CHS to the plan. Continue reading →

Crappy situation at Madrona Beach only part of hotter Lake Washington’s summer problems

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You can view Lake Washington’s historical water temperatures measured by the county here

The warming waters of Lake Washington off popular Madrona Beach are closed to swimmers this week after a power outage caused a sewage overflow at a city facility Monday.

Health officials have ordered the closure between Madrona Beach and Howell Park to the north “over the next several days” saying bacteria levels could make people or pets sick.

King County Wastewater says its crews responded to a power outage at the East Pine Street Pump Station in Madrona that shut down equipment Monday afternoon “and caused an overflow into Lake Washington.” Continue reading →

Capitol Hill street notes: Melrose Promenade construction, Lake Washington Blvd closure, and bus stop work on 15th Ave E

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Some Melrose upgrades like these “Poem Dazzle” community crosswalks have been in place for years while the neighborhood has waited for SDOT to begin construction on the rest of the project

Here are a few notes on street and sidewalk work around Capitol Hill:

  • This time they mean it on Melrose: Earlier this year, CHS reported on work finally ready to begin after years of community planning to give Melrose Ave a pedestrian and bike-friendly overhaul. Now that summer is nearly here and issues like the concrete workers strike have been addressed, construction really can begin on the Melrose Promenade vision. “We’re excited to start construction of the Melrose Promenade next week,” SDOT said in an update on the project sent last Friday. “Starting next week and continuing into the following weeks, we’ll be building new accessible curb ramps at E Roy St and repairing sections of the street and sidewalk on Melrose Ave between E Roy St and E Republican St.” SDOT said contractor crews were being planned to start from the north near E Roy and work south toward E Republican.
    Continue reading →

Pikes/Pines | Stop giggling and consider the urban beaver on the shores of Lake Washington

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Beavers have a way of getting under our skin. Some people despise them, others think they are panacea, and cute as a button to boot. Beliefs and feelings often intermingle inextricably with facts, which is why I believe beavers are amazing creatures, and a landowner with a flooded yard might have different thoughts. And yet, we’re all talking about the same creature.

Now you’re reading this, thinking to yourself: “There aren’t any beavers on Capitol Hill.” On top of it, certainly you are right. However, a quick trip down to the water nearby yields obvious signs of their presence, regardless of our actually seeing a beaver. Continue reading →