Here’s when Seattle Parks wants to close Alki Beach, Don Armeni Boat Ramp this summer. One more West Seattle park proposed for changes too

| West Seattle beaches | West Seattle news | West Seattle parks

With about two months to go until Memorial Day, Seattle Parks has just unveiled its proposed plan for Alki Beach Park and Don Armeni Boat Ramp hours this summer – and it’s proposing a permanent change for Hamilton Viewpoint Park. Deputy superintendent Daisy Catague just briefed the Board of Parks and Recreation Commissioners on this year’s proposed hours, pending a public hearing and vote next month. First, from the slide deck used for the briefing, here’s the list including Alki (which would have the same closing time as last summer):

“Seasonal” means Memorial Day to Labor Day, Catague explained. The key word on that slide, however, is “permanent”; for the last several years, changes have been made, always explained as a “pilot” project. Parks is also proposing a permanent seasonal change for Don Armeni Boat Ramp:

Parks also is proposing permanently shifting Hamilton Viewpoint Park hours, currently 4 am to 11:30 pm, changing to 6 am to 10 pm. Catague says there was a pilot of those hours dating back to 2015. If you want to have a say in the process, here’s the timeline:

The hearing and vote will be at meetings of the Parks and Rec Board, and you can participate either in person at Park HQ downtown, or remotely – agendas will appear here.

Nic March 27, 2025 (10:49 pm)

But the real question is, “when will there even be a boat ramp”?

Curious George March 28, 2025 (8:41 am)

Is the City still pondering what to do with their new, pulled from the water floating dock❓

bolo March 27, 2025 (11:48 pm)

New hours seems reasonable enough I guess, but meaningless unless enforced.

Jake March 28, 2025 (9:32 am)

There shouldn’t be a curfew. I thought I lived in America, home of the free. I can’t even go to a public park and enjoy it after late night kitchen shift?
- Himbo March 28, 2025 (12:59 pm)
  
  Hard agree. Maybe it would make policing easier if we had a citywide curfew after 6pm, but that’s stupid and repressive. Same thing here. Focus on stopping actual crimes and harmful behavior of course, but let people enjoy a fire on the beautiful PUBLIC beach.
- Conrad March 28, 2025 (3:44 pm)
  
  I have always chafed at this too, I don’t like being told that I am not allowed on public land, especially when I am being respectful as always.
- Stop NIMBYs March 29, 2025 (8:24 am)
  
  Seems like a result of NIMBY lobbying. They did the same at beach drive by removing parking. Now they seem to want to remove people who come to Don Armeni for night view of the Seattle skyline. The locals think they own the public land and water in the whole area.

WSPK March 28, 2025 (8:09 am)

I spoke with two BMI workers at the ramp just last week. They said that necessary off-site fabrication had been done and that work on the floats was expected shortly (this week?). Per them final ramp installation was expected by mid April.

lucy March 28, 2025 (8:13 am)

Does this also mean the drag racing and exceedingly loud cars will also be purged from the area after 1030 pm?

Jay March 28, 2025 (9:20 am)

Of course not, but if you overstay the sunset with your kids enjoying a warm summer night at the beach quietly the cops will come yell at you with threats. That’s been the experience every single time they’ve enforced the curfew. Then after all the law-abiding people leave, things get rowdy. I used to live near Alki and spent 3-4 evenings a week on the beach, but when the NIMBYs got the curfew and other rules in place like the winter fire bans and propane fire pit bans after COVID started it became such an overwhelmingly negative experience that we moved to Puget Ridge and don’t really go at night anymore. Nothing like getting shouted at by a cop in a dune buggy to get the f— off the beach while having a picnic at 7 :30pm. When people like us don’t spend time there, it creates a vacuum for sketchy people to take over.
- Anne March 28, 2025 (1:06 pm)
  
  You were told to get off Alki Beach at 7:30 pm? Do the police use a dune buggy on Alki Beach?
- TAnderson March 29, 2025 (11:49 am)
  
  Sorry Jay. But as a long-time resident this sounds like some sort of embellished story for effect.

neighbor March 28, 2025 (9:11 am)

I don’t understand why the summer seasonal hours would be shorter than the rest of the year. Why not just shorten the hours year-round?

Jay March 28, 2025 (9:30 am)

I agree…why shouldn’t this be year round hours? What purpose does an additional hour in the Winter serve? And it is true that rules without enforcement are ignored. Cars race and fireworks go off all hours. The new safe street layouts and signage are a mess and while acknowledged by city officials, nothing has changed…winter was the perfect time to make changes before the crowds arrive again…opportunity lost. More signage at wrong heights and locations is not the answer. Cars are parking in turn arounds, no parking zones and driving in bike lanes. How about some red curb paint and more traffic enforcement?

Jake March 28, 2025 (9:31 am)

Summer hours should be later!

Brian March 28, 2025 (2:46 pm)

So after 10:30 you can still drive your car back and forth, hang out at open air restaurants, walk around on the sidewalks, etc. but not sit on the beach right next to those things? Yeah, that makes sense

Rhonda March 28, 2025 (2:56 pm)

Public parks should NEVER close unless they’re damaged to the point of being unsafe (downed trees, flooding, etc). This is like closing down Barton and Trenton from 10pm to 7am because the Westwood Village stores are closed.

Alki res March 28, 2025 (3:26 pm)

So disappointed to see the proposed shorter hours. The summer is the time for me to enjoy my neighborhood beach, watching the last of the last sunset colors fade and listening to the water. The couple post-sunset hours are a beautiful time to be out, and being kicked off the beach be amplified police is a real nuisance. I’ll be opposing the proposed closing hours with hopes we are allowed to enjoy our beach as we should have the right to do so.