West Seattle, Washington
29 Tuesday
A once-a-year sight on Alki today – outrigger canoes arriving and departing for the Seattle Outrigger Canoe Club‘s annual “Da Grind” day of racing.
The racing wrapped up at mid-afternoon, after competition on 4-mile and 12-mile courses.
It was a sight on the sand, too, as participating clubs set up tents for the day.
Results eventually will be linked at the bottom of this page.
Earlier this week, Public Health – Seattle & King County announced that paralytic shellfish poison had been detected on Vashon Island shores. Now it’s expanded further north to West Seattle beaches, so the department sent this warning:
Paralytic shellfish poison has been detected at unsafe levels from Alki Beach south to Dash Point State Park, as well as along all of the beaches on the eastern shores of Vashon-Maury Island, including Quartermaster Harbor. As a result, the Washington State Department of Health (DOH) has closed these areas to recreational shellfish harvesting. People should always check the DOH shellfish safety website before harvesting shellfish.
Paralytic shellfish poison (PSP) has been detected at unsafe levels from the north point of Alki Beach in Seattle south to Dash Point State Park in Federal Way, as well as along all of the beaches on the eastern shores of Vashon-Maury Island, including Quartermaster Harbor.
As a result, the Washington State Department of Health (DOH) has closed these shores to recreational shellfish harvesting. For beaches in these affected areas that are already closed year-round to shellfish harvesting, this notice serves as an added health warning. This closure is an expansion of the PSP recreational shellfish harvesting restriction announced on July 23, which included Quartermaster Harbor only. People should always check the DOH shellfish safety website before harvesting shellfish.
Working with partners, Public Health – Seattle & King County is posting advisory signs at beaches warning people to not collect shellfish. This announcement applies only to recreational shellfish. Commercial shellfish harvesting sites are monitored and regulated separately. Commercial shellfish harvesters should check the advisory status on DOH’s Commercial Shellfish Map Viewer.
Species of shellfish affected
The closure includes all species of shellfish including clams, geoduck, scallops, mussels, oysters, snails and other invertebrates; the closure does not include crab or shrimp. Crabmeat is not known to contain the PSP toxin, but the guts can contain unsafe levels. To be safe, clean crab thoroughly and discard the guts (“butter”).
What’s the risk?
Anyone who eats PSP-contaminated shellfish is at risk for illness and death. PSP poisoning is caused by eating shellfish containing this potent neurotoxin. A naturally occurring marine organism produces the toxin. The toxin is not destroyed by cooking or freezing.
A person cannot determine if PSP toxin is present by visual inspection of the water or shellfish. For this reason, the term “red tide” is misleading and inaccurate. PSP can only be detected by laboratory testing.
Symptoms of PSP
Symptoms of PSP usually begin 30-60 minutes after eating the contaminated shellfish but may take several hours. Symptoms are generally mild, and begin with numbness or tingling of the face, arms, and legs. This is followed by headache, dizziness, nausea, and loss of muscle coordination. Sometimes a floating sensation occurs. In cases of severe poisoning, muscle paralysis and respiratory failure occur, and in these cases, death may occur in 2 to 25 hours.
If symptoms are mild, call your health care provider or Washington Poison Center (800-222-1222), and Public Health (206-296-4774). If symptoms are severe, call 911 or have someone take you to the emergency room immediately.
Always check before harvesting shellfish
Recreational shellfish harvesting can be closed at any time for multiple reasons, including rising levels of PSP or pollution. Therefore, harvesters are advised to call the DOH Biotoxin Hotline at 800-562-5632 or visit DOH’s shellfish safety website before harvesting shellfish anywhere in Puget Sound.
Thanks for the photos from today’s low-low tide! The ones above and below are from Rainer Klett.
And the next four are from Rosalie Miller, who included ID’s – first, an Anemone and Ochre Sea Star:
A Painted Anemone:
A Glassy Tubeworm:
And a Moonglow Anemone:
Tomorrow’s low-low tide will be out as far as today’s was, -3.0 feet, at 11:07 am.
Story and photos by Hayden Yu Andersen
Reporting for West Seattle Blog
Earlier this week, we reported on Alki Beach’s first permanent volleyball court, scheduled to be installed today. Right on schedule at 9:00 am this morning, volleyball players and representatives from the Seattle Parks and Recreation Department gathered to install the net, declare the court open, and celebrate with a quick game.
“Doing this, right now, is a huge win,” said Alex, who frequents Alki Beach to both play Volleyball and run tournaments. He was one of the community members who helped push for a permanent net and a clearly defined court space.
“It was a struggle at first,” he said, “but after a lot of effort, and a lot of us getting out there and pushing for it, it’s here.”
“It’s nice to see people who are really vocal and want to help us, and fill us in with more information,” said Shalandra Shippentower, Senior Recreation Program Specialist with Seattle Parks.
The Department collaborated with volleyball regulars to create the rules for the new court as a way to ensure that it meets their needs best, according to Shippentower. “Making these things more accessible,” she said, “is always what we’re trying to do.”
The new net/court is at 58th/Alki.
As we’ve mentioned, this week brings the final daytime low-low tides of summer. Thanks to Jamie Kinney for the photos from Constellation Park today.
Wednesday and Thursday’s low-low tide will be out to -3.0 feet – 10:20 am Wednesday, 11:07 am Thursday.
(July 2023 photo by Jamie Kinney)
The annual tribal Canoe Journey, involving tribes’ canoe families from all over the region, has begun – but no Alki Beach stop with a large number of canoes is expected this time. This year, the journeys comprise Paddle to Elwha, hosted by the Lower Elwha Klallam Tribe. Since that makes it a northbound journey for most, few will be passing this way; for those that do, the Muckleshoot Indian Tribe, which has hosted canoe families at Alki Beach in past years, will be hosting at Saltwater State Park in Des Moines this time (Saturday, July 26). According to the newest official map for the journeys, the West Seattle-based Duwamish Tribe canoe family plans to set out from Alki on Sunday (July 27). The official landing at Lower Elwha, just west of Port Angeles, is July 31, and the canoe families will be gathered for a celebration August 1-5. (The host tribe has been dealing with the effects of last Friday’s tanker-truck spill but that’s not sidelining the plan.)
(June low-low tide photo by Gary Jones)
Another round of low-low tides arrives this week (here’s the tide chart), and with mild weather, it’s yet another excellent chance to explore the shore – the last round of daytime low-low tides this summer. Here’s what’s ahead:
Tuesday: 9:30 am, -2.6 feet
Wednesday: 10:20 am, -3.0 feet
Thursday: 11:07 am, -3.0 feet
Friday: 11:52 am, -2.6 feet
Seattle Aquarium beach naturalists are scheduled to be at Constellation Park (63rd SW/Beach Drive SW) on Wednesday (9 am-11:30 am) and Thursday (9 am-noon) to answer low-low-tide questions.
By Hayden Yu Andersen
Reporting for West Seattle Blog
It’s difficult to imagine a day at Alki Beach without volleyball. Beachgoers stringing up nets and playing, in between trips to coolers, or across the street in search of refreshments, are a frequent sight between June and August. If you’ve ever seen groups playing and wanted to join in, starting Wednesday (July 23), you’ll get the chance, as Alki Beach gets its first-ever permanent Volleyball court, across from the Christos on Alki/future Do Si KBBQ building [map].
(Photos courtesy Hannah Cassius)
It’s easy to assume that because the beach has volleyball poles, it has an accessible setup, explained Hannah Cassius, who helped organize this project in cooperation with the Seattle Parks and Recreation Department after she noticed several problems with their old system. The new court will feature clearer lines and a permanent net, scheduled to go up this week.
Until now, the lack of a permanent net and the poorly defined court have led to two problems, Cassius said. First, if you don’t have a net or a friend to play with, it makes the pastime inaccessible for the average person. The new court, which is set to open at 9 am on Wednesday, will feature a permanent net and a clearly defined court. As Cassius put it, “If you’re walking on the beach and you wanna play, you can play.”
The second problem was safety and quality. “We would find glass and nails in the sand, and the poles were crooked,” she said. “So having these permanent lines and nets makes beach volleyball more accessible to the community.”
The new court runs on a special system, called a “challenge court,” that keeps with the competitive spirit of the sport, while making it accessible to new players. If you want to play, you set down your sandal in a line to indicate your space. While people often show up in groups, there are no rules preventing anyone from simply walking up and joining the line to play. If you win your match, you get to stay for a maximum of two games before going to the back of the line.
“Here’s a hypothetical example,” Cassius said, “My husband Reid and I are playing against two other friends of ours, Brandon and Anissa. You put your shoe in line to play the winner. Reid and I win the game. We play you and your friend.” While this is new to Seattle, challenge courts are common at public volleyball courts in other states, like New York and California, according to Cassius.
(Seattle Parks Department rules)
The issues first came up earlier this year, at a Parks and Recreation Department town hall. Then, she slowly began to drum up support from the local volleyball community. Watching people come out in force, and the Parks Department’s quick and enthusiastic response to the quickly growing group’s concerns, was both surprising and heartwarming. Several hands-on work days and a change.org petition later, the courts are about to open to the public. According to Lisa Nielsen, the Athletic and Event Scheduling Manager with Seattle Parks and Recreation, the cost was approximately $900, covered by reservations for the other, non-permanent courts.
“I was actually positively surprised,” she said. “A lot of the older volleyball players said ‘the Parks Department doesn’t do anything, you won’t see any changes, et cetera,’ and for many of us, it was our first time working with them, but they’ve been with us every step of the way.”
Permanent courts on Alki aren’t the only thing they’ve managed to get done in cooperation with the Parks Department. They’ve managed to update the Volleyball poles to support men’s, women’s, and co-ed play, leveled the sand around the court, had the Alki showers turned on in April (in previous years they’ve waited until late May or June to turn them on), and even increased restroom maintenance.
They’re not done yet, though. Cassius says they have plans on the horizon to set up a community tool shed, with sifters and rakes to keep the courts safe, and add even more poles and sand. “At the end of the day,” She said, “ the larger Seattle volleyball community is a lot of people, from a lot of diverse backgrounds, but everyone is united by wanting to play this sport. This is an opportunity for more public athletic spaces with the community.”
Outdoor-music season is on! Good turnout for the first of two West Seattle performances today by the trio traveling with the Seattle Chamber Music Society‘s Concert Truck. The crowd filled much of the green east of Alki Beach Bathhouse under the noontime sunshine.
Here’s the full program played this afternoon and scheduled to be repeated tonight. We recorded a longer clip (apologies that one musician is out of view in it) from a work by Fanny Mendelssohn:
This evening’s concert is at 5 pm at the Seattle Chinese Garden on the north end of the South Seattle College (WSB sponsor) on Puget Ridge, 6000 16th SW, also free of charge, lasting about an hour (bring your own chair/blanket).
With many cannon blasts, the Seafair Pirates approached Alki close to their announced landing time of 1:30 pm.
(Photo by Dave Gershgorn for WSB)
As in years past, they were on board the Global Diving landing craft Prudhoe Bay; the colorful cannon smoke, however, was new, and meant the Pirates came ashore in something of a fog:
(Photo by David Hutchinson)
(This photo and next three by Oliver Hamlin for WSB)
It cleared quickly enough for brave beachgoers to try to thwart them:
Most of the crowd welcomed the invaders:
Eventually the Pirates – led by Davy Jones (in green) and Captain Kidd (in red and gold) -made their way to their wheeled “vessel” Moby Duck up on Alki Avenue, where Seafair royalty – Queen Alcyone (former SPD Chief Carmen Best), King Neptune (former TV anchor Eric Johnson), and Community Hero Mercy Hobbes (the Hero program replaces Miss Seafair) awaited for a bit of goofy ceremony:
Pirate leaders were anointed Seafair royalty.
(This photo and next 2 by Oliver Hamlin for WSB)
Every year they also manage to wrestle the key to the city – or county – away from a politician. This year the designated key-yielder was deputy mayor Greg Wong, who first tried valiantly to speak the Pirates’ language.
Eventually the Pirates sailed on – leaving behind aspiring shipmates like this 7-year-old who’s come to see them every year of his life:
But they’ll return to West Seattle three weeks from today for the WS Grand Parade! You might even see them passing through like this (thanks to Val for the video from Admiral Way):
Thanks to Gary Jones for the photos from Constellation Park during today’s low-low tide (as noted in our daily highlight list, it was out to -3.7 feet at 12:05 pm. Birds were enjoying it – that’s a Great Blue Heron above, a Gull below:
Also an Osprey:
And a Caspian Tern:
He shared one non-avian wildlife sighting too – a River Otter:
Tomorrow’s lowest tide falls into the low-low category too – -3.1 feet at 12:51 pm Friday.
(2024 photo by David Hutchinson)
So far, next Saturday (June 28) looks to be a lot more like beach weather than today – good thing since Alki is likely to be thronged by hundreds more people than usual, with this year’s Seafair Pirates Landing set for early afternoon. If you haven’t been before, it’s a relatively compact event these days, with cannon fire sounding offshore as the Pirates approach on a borrowed barge that brings them close enough to wade ashore and mingle menacingly with their fans. There’s usually a bit of bluster as they seize the key to the city or county from a politician and/or Seafair royalty, and eventually they board their motorized landlubbing vessel Moby Duck to roll away. The current estimate for the landing is around 1:30 pm, but don’t procrastinate if you want to see them, because it could be earlier. (You can expect to see the Pirates back here three weeks after that, for the West Seattle Grand Parade on July 19!)
Thanks to Mara Jacroux for sharing photos of a river otter having dinner on the beach at Lincoln Park last night.
Mara said some onlookers suggested sending to WSB to share with the community – thank you! If you don’t know much about river otters – who, despite their name, frequent salt-water Puget Sound – check out this fact sheet about coexisting with them.)
(WSB photos, this afternoon)
After reading our coverage of last week’s SDOT announcement about adding 150 parking spaces along Alki Avenue after the conversion of angled parking to parallel parking is done, a nearby resident asked us whether this was a “done deal.” The language on the “fact sheet” provided by SDOT last week includes this paragraph:
…Re-establishing daytime on-street parking is proposed for the west/ water side of Alki Avenue SW, between the 1200 and 1700 blocks, where the street is wide enough. This would help offset the reduced parking at Duwamish Head and meet increased parking demand during summers. Changes could be installed in the summer of 2025. …
But also this:
Additional Alki Avenue SW outreach is planned for later this summer. We’ll engage the community to address questions and take feedback before finalizing and implementing a design.
So we asked SDOT two things today: #1, is the added street parking in the 1200 to 1700 blocks a “done deal,” and #2, what kind of “additional … outreach” is planned – for example, will there be a community meeting?
Regarding “is it a done deal?” the answer wasn’t clear:
Before installing the second phase of this project, we would like to hear how people feel about the change and any specific benefits or challenges that re-establishing parking on the water side of Alki Avenue SW might bring.
Regarding “additional outreach,” SDOT says “no meetings are planned”:
We appreciate the community’s interest and input regarding Councilmember Rob Saka‘s request to re-establish on-street parking on the waterside of Alki Avenue SW to offset some loss of parking at the Duwamish Head. We believe the current survey provides one effective way of gathering feedback from a diverse range of voices.
To ensure adjacent stakeholders are aware, we are also putting up A-frame signs within the area and sending emails to community leaders. Wider promotion through outlets like your media site and Councilmember Rob Saka helps capture a wide array of Alki visitors, businesses, and residents. The survey itself ensures participants can share their thoughts conveniently and at a time that works best for them, allowing for a comprehensive collection of opinions over the next few weeks. While no meetings are planned at this time, we’ll see if the current outreach generates significant interest or if there are populations that appear not to have been reached and determine if supplemental efforts should be considered.
So if you have an opinion of the added spaces, whatever it is, the survey is apparently your main opportunity for input. Since SDOT’s replies made it clear that the added spaces, like the diagonal removal, is by request of Councilmember Saka, here’s his contact info too.
3:11 PM: Thanks again to Kevin Freitas for a view of Constellation Park as today’s low-low tide bottomed out at -4.1 feet, lowest of the year. Also sending photos was Dawn Roeder, who saw colorful sea life under the Fauntleroy ferry dock:
Tomorrow’s lowest tide is still great for tidepooling – -3.6 feet at 1:08 pm – but the weather is expected to be very different.
ADDED 5:29 PM: Thanks to Stewart L. for the photo of Luna Park‘s pilings (pointed out on Tuesday by Dave Townsend):
Constellation Park and Emma Schmitz Memorial Overlook get most of the love during low-low tides, but West Seattle’s north shores provide some sights too. Above are the pilings only revealed near the diagonal-parking area when the tide goes this far out (-4.0 around 11:30 am today – added, Dave Townsend and our archives remind us that the remains of Luna Park emerge in these conditions); below, further north/west, the view toward the heart of Alki:
And the northeastward view from that same spot:
Tomorrow brings the lowest low tide of the year, -4.1 feet at 12:20 pm.
Today’s low-low tide wasn’t just good for wildlife-watching. At Emma Schmitz Memorial Overlook, A Cleaner Alki volunteers worked to remove a huge tire from the beach. Thanks to Kevin Freitas for sending us that photo and others from the West Seattle shore, including his child with an octopus:
West Seattle’s west-facing shore drew a crowd:
Today’s low tide was out to -3.4 feet at 10:50 am, and tomorrow it’s even lower – -4.0 feet at 11:34 am.
(File photo)
By Anne Higuera
Reporting for West Seattle Blog
Just in time for the lowest tides of the year, the Seattle Aquarium is announcing its scaled-back schedule for this year’s Beach Naturalist program, after weeks of concern about how layoffs would affect the program. Plans include events during 5 low tides on West Seattle beaches. Here’s the announcement:
In the coming weeks, beachgoers will be able to experience the summer low tides at several local beaches alongside volunteers from the Seattle Aquarium’s Beach Naturalist program. Beach Naturalist explorations begin at the end of May and run through the end of July. You can find dates and times when knowledgeable Seattle Aquarium beach naturalists will be on local shores here.
The Aquarium’s seasonal Beach Naturalist program is returning to a previous model of volunteer-led “Pods” to engage with the public on local beaches on the lowest low tide days of the summer. Through the program, local experts on the marine environment—beach naturalists—educate members of the public on how to explore shorelines while keeping animals and their homes safe.
The low tides allow a closer look at animals such as sea birds, crabs, moon snails, barnacles, and more that are typically hidden under the surface.
The program, which along with the Cedar River Salmon Journey included more than 300 volunteers last year, has been up in the air since layoffs in January.
The ensuing months have involved reorganizing the popular program and scaling back the frequency of events, which last year included 22 dates at 11 beaches, including Constellation and Lincoln Parks. Aquarium spokesperson Tim Kuniholm says volunteers, sometimes led by Aquarium staff, will be on beaches at scheduled times in groups of 4-5, all wearing recognizable Beach Naturalist vests as they have in previous years.
This year, there is a single event at Lincoln Park, on June 28th. Charles Richey Sr. Viewpoint (which includes Constellation Park) will have 5 days, including the Saturday low tide on June 28. The first low-tide events there will be May 26th and 27th, which are a Monday and Tuesday midday. This year, 10 beaches will have naturalists on half as many days as in 2024, and no beach with more than 5 events scheduled during the season.
“More than 100 volunteers responded to support this program,” says Kuniholm, “We are excited to learn as we move through this year. The staff and volunteers who are participating will help us shape the program’s future.” He also confirmed that additional changes are possible, including collaboration between the Aquarium and other conservation groups. “It’s in the works, and we look forward to sharing more when we can.”
Also pending is an announcement about changes to the Cedar River Salmon Journey program, which remains on hold. “Our planning process is underway, and we’ll announce plans as soon as they’re finalized,” Kuniholm told WSB.
Minus tides start May 24th and run the entire week through June 1, with the lowest tides on the 27th and 28th.
(WSB photos by Anne Higuera unless otherwise credited)
By Anne Higuera
Reporting for West Seattle Blog
A misty, wet start to low-low tide season did not deter people from flocking to shorelines at midday today to discover sea life left exposed by the receding Sound. South of Lincoln Park, dozens gathered among the towering piers of the ferry dock, forming circles around interesting finds and calling out to friends.
Among them were many beach naturalists trained by the Seattle Aquarium who plan to be at the beach during low tides sharing what they know with friends and curious neighbors whether it’s part of a formal program or not.
Tide-pooling during a low, low tide involves walking a hundred or more yards over sand and seabed that in some areas is exposed only a handful of days a year.
Rubber boots are a good idea, along with looking very carefully where you step. Bigger marine animals like sea stars and sea anemones are easy to spot.
So are the egg collars from Moon Snails, which look a bit like shaped plastic.
The smaller creatures require a keen eye and a little luck. Having someone who can point out a Shaggy Mouse nudibranch (Aeolidia loui) or know that the flat worm wriggling across the wet sand is likely a White Line Ribbon worm makes low tides into educational outings.
It’s also especially exciting to find things like a small Red Octopus biding her time until the tide comes back in. Pat, who took the photo, said the consensus was that this one is a female.
(Photo courtesy Pat Reaville)
There are several organizations in the area (including MAST and the Environmental Science Center) that have beach naturalist programs, but the Seattle Aquarium’s has been the largest, consistently staffing around a dozen locations, including two beaches in West Seattle. The Aquarium is planning to run their program again this year, but doesn’t yet have dates set. “The team tells me we are very close,” said Aquarium spokesperson Tim Kuniholm last week. It’s expected that the Aquarium program will have a significantly shorter list of events this year after layoffs in January. That program and Cedar River Salmon Journey relied on 300+ volunteers, who have been in limbo for a number of months, waiting to hear what’s next. Some have moved on to other opportunities, or just decided they’ll go to the beach no matter what.
Today, a naturalist who was let go in the round of layoffs was holding up a Leather Star to show other former Aquarium volunteers. They are supposed to have a scent similar to garlic, so everyone took a good whiff. She also pointed out a shrimp and other smaller creatures that might otherwise go unnoticed.
In talking with Aquarium volunteers today and others in recent weeks, we heard most express resignation and/or sadness at the changes being made to the naturalist program, but they also are making a point of reaching out to other volunteers to meet up, as they did today. One is even working to organize an informal club — the West Seattle Low Tide All Stars — in part to facilitate meetups between former volunteers on low-tide days.
Today that happened organically, with knowledgeable naturalists just as excited about what they were finding as were kids, families, and others peering into tidepools and wading in the water, trying to take in everything they could see before the tide began to inch back up again.
There is another very low tide tomorrow – -3.4 feet, same as today, just before 1:30 pm.
(WSB file photo, SPD at Alki on a summer night)
As we’ve reported, the city is moving toward an earlier closing time for Alki Beach Park this spring/summer – and beyond. But what else is planned to address safety concerns as warmer weather brings more people to the regionally renowned beach? The Alki Community Council invites you to this Thursday’s monthly gathering, this time at Alki Bathhouse (60th/Alki), to hear from and talk with a panel of people working on the issue. Here’s the ACC announcement:
Reminder: Alki Community Council Meeting – Thursday, April 17th
Special Summer Safety Prep Meeting* New Location: Alki Bathhouse
* New Start: 6:30-8 pm (In-person only)We’re switching things up this month as we take it to the beach—right where it matters most. Our meeting at Alki Bathhouse is all about the beach: how we can protect it, and the people who live and visit here.
As we prepare for a busy summer with environmental and ongoing safety concerns—amid a 300+ officer shortage—you’ll hear directly from those on the front lines of guardianship of both people and our parks.
What makes this meeting special? We’re bringing together voices from 8th grade changemakers to top city leaders—all committed to keeping Alki safe, clean, and cared for.
Speaker Lineup:
Explorer West Middle School 8th Graders – Youth-led action item.
Captain Krista Bair, SPD SW Precinct commander
Jon Jainga, Seattle Parks Security & Emergency Mgmt.
Tracy Cramer, SPU Clean City / Litter Abatement
Seattle Park Rangers
Dave Delgado, Seal Sitters –– Wildlife crisis responseBring your questions and concerns, and join us to help keep the place we love safe and beautiful.
Story by Jason Grotelueschen
Reporting for West Seattle Blog
Summer visitors to some of West Seattle’s most popular parks will likely have slightly fewer hours to enjoy them.
As we’ve been reporting (including last week, and a couple of weeks before that), Seattle Parks had been considering “permanent seasonal” reductions (Memorial Day to Labor Day, for all upcoming summers) to the hours during which several parks across the city are open, including our own Alki Beach Park and Don Armeni Boat Ramp, as well as a permanent reduction in hours for Hamilton Viewpoint Park.
On Thursday night, the city’s advisory Board of Parks and Recreation Commissioners held a public hearing and vote, and the board unanimously approved the proposal, which now goes to the Parks superintendent Anthony-Paul (“AP”) Diaz (who was in attendance on Thursday night) to issue a final decision, which would be followed by necessary city clerk filings and then updates to parks signage and websites.
Of the impacted Seattle parks that are specifically in the West Seattle area, the now-approved proposal calls for:
The meeting on Thursday was a “hybrid” forum, with the board and a handful of in-person attendees gathering downtown at Seattle Parks HQ, while others joined online via Zoom. Public participation was light, with two “general commenters” who signed up and offered thoughts about overall parks concerns, but zero commenters signed up or in attendance to speak specifically about the proposed hourly changes. However, commission members did make reference to some emailed comments from West Seattle residents, as well as “comments on the West Seattle Blog,” summarized as such:
From last month’s meeting slides, here are two tables showing the city-wide changes that were proposed and now approved:
Commissioners noted that the rationale for the changes included fire safety (particularly for Alki and Golden Gardens), managing late-night noise and problematic “non-boating activity” on the boat ramps, and aligning hours and resources with SPD and other resources. Commissioners added that although public commentary on the issue was minimal, the department had done the best it could to get the word out via their web and social channels, and in local news and blogs and social media. Two commissioners suggested the need for a future “comprehensive approach” to park hours, noting that numerous parks (such as Ravenna) have late-night hours but minimal/no lighting, which probably should be evaluated, and others agreed.
In Thursday’s meeting, commissioners discussed the general positive sentiment about the proposal among board members, and among the (admittedly small) number of comments gathered online and via email (again, there was nobody signed up to comment at Thursday’s meeting). Based on that, they agreed to call for a vote rather than to delay a vote to a later meeting (the board meets again on April 24), and the motion then passed unanimously.
Aside from the park-hours discussion, there were a handful of other West Seattle mentions during other portions of the meeting agenda:
(2024 low-low tide photo from Tom Trulin at Lincoln Park)
With minus tides on the way next week, and very low tides expected at month’s end, we checked in with the Seattle Aquarium to find out if they have assembled a schedule for this year’s Beach Naturalist program. Aquarium spokesperson Tim Kuniholm says they are working toward a mid-April deadline and will be able to talk about the details of the program after that. As we’ve been reporting, after reader tips, the program is being reorganized after aquarium-staff layoffs earlier this year, and is expected to be significantly scaled back from its previous reach, with 300+ volunteers at beaches across the region, including Lincoln Park and Constellation Park. Last year, Aquarium-coordinated naturalists staffed 11 beaches, each with 22 low-tide events from May to July. We’ll have another update when the new plans are finalized.
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.
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