Beach fires expensive, but no changes planned

You may remember a few months ago when a briefing paper from the Department of Parks and Recreation floated the idea of banning beach fires at Golden Gardens and Alki. In a swirl of controversy, the idea was tabled. The parks board has asked for an update, and it was released today. “No action is requested at this time,” reads the briefing (.pdf), keeping the issue status quo. But it does break down the challenges and costs associated with beach fires:

Certain behaviors continue to be a challenge including parking at Golden Gardens, alcohol consumption at both parks, and burning of inappropriate material that cause hazards and illegal fires. Parks staff is effective at eliminating illegal fires when they occur and report that most people are cooperative when it is pointed out that alcohol is not permitted. The Seattle Police Department (SPD) is contacted regarding incidents such as fights and significant parking issues.

The total costs at Golden Gardens over a 22 week period last year: $57,439, according to parks department calculations. The West Seattle Blog has more on the issue here. (Cool photo by TheWayoftheGun)