SEATTLE — Last Thursday, Seattle Parks and Recreation presented a plan to create a play area at Denny Blaine Park.
In the days since, thousands of people have voiced opposition. A petition has been created and a community group, Save Denny Blaine, has compiled data, pictures, and personal testimony to try and stop the play area plan.
The reason for the efforts revolves around the history of Denny Blaine Park; it's a well-known nude beach, and has also been a safe haven for the LGBTQ+ community, especially those who are transgender or gender-nonconforming, to feel comfortable in their bodies at a beach. This has been the case for decades.
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“First thought was it's kind of inappropriate just because it's historically a queer nude beach,” Nicholas Panaikas, a local who goes to the beach, said of the kid play area plan. "I don't know who had the idea to say 'Let's put a kids' park at a nude beach.' It's not great."
This news was first reported by the Capitol Hill Seattle Blog.
According to Seattle Parks, the project is being funded by a private donor who wishes to remain anonymous. The projected cost is $550,000. Seattle Parks and Rec said Denny Blaine was identified as needing a play area because there’s not one in the neighborhood within a 10-15 minute walk. In response to that reasoning, Save Denny Blaine suggested other parks the group believes would be a better fit to build a kids' play area. They sent a letter to Councilmember Sawant and the Parks Board with those recommendations.
“Denny Blaine is a great spot, I've been going there for the last eight to nine years. It’s something I look forward to every summer,” Sean Duff, another parkgoer, said. "All people from all communities use this space. I meet people and I have straight coworkers I go there with. It's just a good place for all the community."
Panaikas believes the play area plan, funded by an anonymous donor, is part of an effort to rid Denny Blaine Park, surrounded by multimillion-dollar properties, of its well-known LGBTQ+ presence.
“What it's going to do is push out the queer community and we're going to have one less place for people to gather and be around everybody,” Panaikas said. "We're here, we're queer. We're going to exist regardless if we get pushed out. We'll find somewhere else, but you know, it's a very special spot for us."
A public meeting will be held on Dec. 6 at the MLK FAME Community Center from 5:30 p.m.-6:30 p.m. Seattle Parks and Rec is encouraging people to come and share their opinions on the matter. The full statement from the agency is below.
"Seattle Parks and Recreation presented at the Board of Parks and Recreation Commissioners last Thursday on the Department’s plan to create a play area at Denny Blaine Park. The park was identified as needing a play area as it sits within a neighborhood that currently doesn't have a play area within a 10-to-15-minute walk. The project is being funded by a private donation and at minimal cost to taxpayers.
This project supports our department mission to increase citywide access to nature and shorelines for children and parents and to address any deficits within our system of lacking active recreational amenities for youth.
The proposed play area is a small nature play design and will include adding accessible (ADA) travel from the parking lot and down to the beach.
Currently, we are asking for community feedback on the proposed addition of this play area to Denny Blaine Park, and welcome community concerns and questions both via email to dennyblaineplayarea@seattle.gov and via a public meeting on Wednesday, December 6 at 5:30 at MLK FAME (3201 E. Republican St.)."