Denny Blaine Park serves as a vital park and lakefront space for many of Seattle’s residents, particularly the queer community.
On July 15, 2026, as part of the Denny Blaine Park for All v. City of Seattle lawsuit, King County Superior Court found that certain activities at the park constituted a public nuisance and ordered the City to take several steps to address conditions at the park. These actions, which include park-specific guidelines, education and outreach, infrastructure improvements, and additional enforcement, are intended to reduce activities of lewd sexual acts, vandalism, and illegal parking. Below, we provide an update on these actions; for more about the other court ordered actions, see here.
Adopting Supplemental Use Guidelines for Denny Blaine Park
SPR’s overarching policy for managing park uses (Policy 7.13.1) calls on us to, “to the maximum extent possible, equitably accommodate the user populations who wish to use park and recreation facilities.” The same policy calls on us to “minimize the adverse impact of use activities on park grounds and facilities and the surrounding environment.” We take this dual responsibility seriously, and over many years we have developed supplemental use guidelines for several parks with this in mind.
On October 15, 2026, the Superintendent officially adopted supplemental use guidelines for Denny Blaine Park. SPR takes this action after a community engagement process that included several public meetings and multiple rounds of public comment; you can read more about this process here.
The new Supplemental Use Guidelines for Denny Blaine Park (Policy 7.13.1.14) define acceptable and prohibited behaviors and help clarify how the park can be used. They formally adopt several elements of an existing, court-ordered abatement plan, such as defining clothing-optional and clothing-required areas and requiring visual screening between these areas. Additionally, SPR is using the new guidelines as an opportunity to acknowledge the park’s significance to Seattle’s queer community.
Informing Park Users about the new Guidelines
SPR is taking several actions to educate park users about the new guidelines. Beginning October 16, interim signage will be posted at the park that references the guidelines, lists acceptable and prohibited activities, and make the boundaries between the clothing-optional and clothing-required areas clear. In the coming months, SPR will perform additional community engagement around how to effectively communicate and educate park users about the guidelines, and we will explore development and installation of new signage that invites compliance through creative, positive, community-informed messaging.
Additionally, SPR intends to develop a Community Liaison program for Denny Blaine. Through this effort, SPR seeks to empower a trusted community partner to:
- Foster open communication between SPR, park users, and the surrounding community
- Promote a positive and safe culture in the park
- Monitor park activity to keep SPR informed about issues, needs, and opportunities
- Educate park users about the park’s Supplemental Use Guidelines
SPR is accepting Letters of Interest from organizations who would like to serve as the Community Liaison. Applicants should have a high degree of cultural competence working with queer communities and be excited about collaborating with SPR and the broader community. Additionally, the organization should have a City of Seattle business license, adequate insurance, and formal 501(c)3 non-profit status, or have a fiscal sponsor to cover these requirements. Interested organizations are required to submit a Letter of Interest to SPR by November 15, 2026. Read more and apply here.
For additional information about the full process to develop supplemental use guidelines, see here.
