With summer almost here, Alki Community Council talks about beach concerns tonight

| Neighborhoods | West Seattle beaches | West Seattle news

The fire rings are back; the summer crowds are on the way. Want to talk about the beach? It’s the third Thursday, so the Alki Community Council is meeting online tonight, and you’re welcome to participate. Agenda highlights as sent by the ACC:

Update on Southwest Precinct, Sgt. David Terry, SW Precinct, SPD

Report on Alki Beach concerns

The meeting starts at 7 pm; you can attend via videoconference by going here, or by phone at 206-337-9723. (For both, the meeting ID is 995 1615 6974, passcode 638862.)

UPS WIFE May 20, 2021 (11:14 am)

Is it really (Summer) I am so cold today! LOL!!!!

WSB May 20, 2021 (11:30 am)

One month. Might be back in the 70s Friday and Saturday, though.

Boinsted May 20, 2021 (11:27 am)

Curious – do they rake/sift the beach sand on an annual basis? I’ve seen them do it before but it doesn’t seem to be a yearly occurance. With the removal of the fire rings over the past year (glad they are back) and the burning that was happening directly in the sand, there is a large amount of burnt wood and coals mixed in with the sand. I would love it if that could be sifted out to make the beach more enjoyable.

H2OK9 May 20, 2021 (1:32 pm)

People burn pallets which leave behind loads of nails. Sifting the sand is a great idea.
AlkiJames May 20, 2021 (2:14 pm)

They’ve run their raker/sifter machine at least 3-4 times this spring. I have a feeling most of the charcoal chunks will just continue to get broken down further and further vs sifted out.

H20K9 May 20, 2021 (12:00 pm)

Just curious, what was the reasoning for removing the fire rings during the colder months?It’s nice to have a beach fire on a chilly afternoon. Was it a matter of reduced maintenance during the winter months?

Anonymous coward May 20, 2021 (12:59 pm)

They weren’t removed due to winter. They were removed to curb people from using them during lockdown.
newnative May 20, 2021 (1:49 pm)

It wasn’t the weather, it was to discourage beach gatherings/parties.
Alki Local May 20, 2021 (2:00 pm)

A little history … https://westseattleblog.com/2020/07/alki-beach-fire-rings-removed-after-months-of-misuse/
AlkiJames May 20, 2021 (2:18 pm)

They removed them last summer to keep people from gathering because of the pandemic. Of course, that didn’t really stop people, they just went ahead and built fires all over the beach. Hopefully it was a lesson in unintended consequences.

on_board May 20, 2021 (2:05 pm)

H2OK9 – Someone had the idea to put the fire rings away to discourage public gatherings during the initial days of COVID when less was known about transmission. Fair enough decision in the moment I suppose, however there was no follow up whatsoever. People built fires everywhere and just burned the big driftwood. The parks department had no ability to evaluate whether the policy was effective, and even today, they have locked the rings until Memorial Day, as if the next week and a half required a continuation of this policy. Why not just admit this didn’t work and revert back to the way things were?

Mj May 20, 2021 (3:55 pm)

Alki Beach has been a hot spot forever. Anyone moving into the area must know this, it’s like buying a house next to a pig farm and then raising concerns about the smell.

Stacy Bass-Walden May 20, 2021 (4:13 pm)

Just yesterday I was happy to see a crew removing any driftwood that was used to burn for bonfires. SMH why do folks think it’s ok to do that? But anyway, I spoke to one of the crew members and they intend to clear all burnt driftwood. And placing unburnt pieces around the firepits for seating. note:Firepits are currently locked until May 29th.

Stacy Bass-Walden May 20, 2021 (4:23 pm)

Yesterday a crew was onsite removing burnt driftwood and also placing driftwood around firepits for seating. I took a few photos.

Carl May 21, 2021 (4:50 pm)

Is there a summary of the meeting? I would love to know what we can do collectively to make Alki family friendly again. There is so much recklessness in the evenings/weekends now and zero police involvement. Lived here for 55 years and cannot stand the total disrespect that happening in this community space.