Denny Blaine Park serves as a vital park and waterfront space for many of Seattle’s communities, particularly the queer community.
Since July 2025, Denny Blaine Park has operated under a court-ordered abatement plan, which is a set of actions required by a court to address specific problems or conditions at a property. The specific plan for Denny Blaine Park established separate clothing-optional and clothing-required areas of the park, with a visual barrier between them. As part of the abatement plan, SPR’s Park Rangers regularly visit the park, and routine park maintenance is performed to remove trash, maintain the visual barrier, and respond to vandalism.
On July 15, 2026, as part of the Denny Blaine Park for All v. City of Seattle lawsuit, King County Superior Court ordered the City to take additional steps to the existing abatement plan to address conditions at the park. The court directed SPR to:
- Create a park-specific plan and user code of conduct
- Monitor and report incidents of inappropriate behavior
- Maintain the park grounds to prevent inappropriate behavior
- Establish buffers between the park and neighboring properties
- Educate park users about appropriate behavior through signage and outreach efforts
Beginning in August 2026, SPR is taking the following actions to follow the court’s order. Read on for more details and how to provide your feedback.
New Park Specific User Plan and Code of Conduct for Denny Blaine Park
SPR will adopt supplemental use guidelines for Denny Blaine Park, which are park-specific guidelines that define acceptable and prohibited behaviors and help clarify how the park can be used. Additionally, SPR is using the new guidelines as an opportunity to acknowledge the history of clothing-optional use and its significance to Seattle’s queer community.
Several aspects of the proposed guidelines are set by court order and cannot be unilaterally changed by the City through the rulemaking process. These include the designation of clothing-optional and clothing-required areas, the specific line where the areas are divided, the requirement for visual screening between the areas, the allowance of toplessness throughout the park, and the minimum frequency of visits and monitoring by Park Rangers and maintenance staff.
While these guidelines are being developed, we want to hear from the community. Please review the current draft guidelines and the opportunities to comment.
Denny Blaine’s Long-Term Future
Prior to the court process, SPR’s Park CommUNITY Fund was supporting a community-led investment in Denny Blaine Park. The Park CommUNITY Fund is a participatory budgeting program that gives Seattle communities an opportunity to identify and help shape improvements to parks and recreation spaces.
In fall 2024, Friends of Denny Blaine successfully proposed funding through the program for a long-term site plan and small improvements. While this work was initiated independently of the court process, the long-term plan may help address some of the same challenges facing the park. SPR is excited to launch a collaborative, community design process to guide the plan and long-term improvements.
The engagement and plan aim to honor the park’s history and create a place that is welcoming and inclusive to users and neighbors for generations to come. The process will result in a plan that proposes design solutions to:
- Honor the queer legacy of the park
- Address parking conflicts by enhancing the many ways people desire to get to the park (walking, biking, driving, and transit)
- Study the feasibility of restrooms
- Improve signage
- Provide park upgrades such as new trash cans, seating, improved landscaping, and other basic park infrastructure.
Most of the available funding will support the development of the long-term site plan. Remaining funds will be used for smaller improvements such as trash cans, seating, signage and improved landscaping. In addition, the team will support development of creative and inviting signage that describes the history of the park, and provides education on the new use guidelines. Proposed sign language will be subject to legal review and related modifications.
Install Additional Screening
The court has also required SPR to install some additional screening to ensure that clothing-optional areas of the park are not visible from neighboring properties. SPR has a long-term goal of replacing the existing visual barrier with a more integrated and natural solution. This long-term goal will be informed by the community design process.
Develop a Community Liaison Program
SPR will seek a consultant contract to establish a Community Liaison Program, with a limited scope of disseminating information about the use guidelines, educating park users about acceptable behavior, and supporting positive use of the park. The specifics of the program will be developed through consultation with park users and the organization selected. SPR expects to select a partner with a high degree of trust among park users and a demonstrated competence working with queer communities.
HOW TO GET INVOLVED:
Provide feedback on the proposed Supplemental Use Guidelines:
- Review the draft guidelines here
- Attend one of our community meetings:
- Tuesday, September 15 at 6 PM at Miller Community Center, 330 19th Ave E
- Online: Thursday, September 17 at 6 PM (Meeting Link)
- Provide comments on our engagement hub from now until October 5. You may submit comments at any time during this period. Please note that the formal 14-day public comment period will begin after the public meetings and is anticipated to run from September 21 through October 5.
Help shape the park’s long-term design:
- If you are interested in taking part in the community design process for a long-term site improvement plan, join us at an open house or take the online survey to share your feedback and connect with the community! Meetings will have no formal design presentation.
- September 20, from 11 AM – 2 PM at Cal Anderson Shelter House, 1700 11th Ave, Seattle, WA 98122
- September 23, from 4:30 – 6:30 PM at Madrona Shelter House, 917 34th Ave, Seattle, WA 98122
- Share your experiences and desires for the space through our online survey that will open on September 20.