It will be summer again, someday. There’s talk of expanding the Capitol Hill Riviera.
The cruise down the Hill to Madison Park Beach is, along with Dykiki, well known to Capitol Hill masses looking to chill on the shores of Lake Washington. Now the Seattle Parks Board is considering a proposal to open up the shoreline on park land just north of the popular beach — a public hearing is scheduled for early November.
The Madison Park Blogger says the neighborhood, in a theme that seems to define Seattle living as the city’s population grows and density increases, is torn:
While we may really be the elitist, keep-it-all-to-ourselves kind of neighborhood that our detractors claim we are, I’d like to think we’re better than that.
The choice before us, I believe, is this: Do we as a community wish we were more like our exclusive enclave, Broadmoor, with its perimeter walls and gate guards? Or are we a neighborhood that believes in sharing with other Seattleites the very amenities that help make this Village by the Lake a joy for those of us lucky enough to live here?
The discussion of the city park with a fenced-off shoreline was kicked off this summer by a Daily Journal of Commerce blog post about the potential new lake access — and what, eventually in a future “shoreline access” improvement, could be a new Madison Park beach:
I was also told recently that in 2003 the neighborhood was polled about whether they would prefer to see the fence removed, and apparently there was some objection. Well, excuse me, but Lake Washington shoreline is a precious, very finite commodity and public ownership and use of any part of that commodity is not the sole province of the nearby neighbors. All of us 600,000+ Seattleites who do not have the privilege of living on or near the water should have the right to enjoy what little public shoreline the City owns.
Details on the hearing are below. Bring your swimsuit.
I was thinking they were planning on building something behind that fence its a huge area right along the shoreline. I hope it passes!
totally under used as is – take down the fence for gods sake. Put a dock out there and let some people enjoy it on a hot day. Why not?
They should take the fence down when people on this blog stop crying about people from other parts invading Capitol Hill on Friday and Saturday. Give a little to get a little.
Madison Park, tear down this wall.
^ I’ll tell you why: awesome comment. And so true.
Ich bin ein Madison Parker
i loled
My friends and I enjoyed “Little Beach” in the early 40’s. The beach entrance was about 20 feet east of the sidewalk. From the bottom of a steep wooden staircase to the water’s edge was approximately 40 feet.
We played in the shallow warm waters and pieced together a watercraft made from scraps of wood from Clayton Fisher’s Boatyard (located at the south end)that never went far but kept us amused for years.
To the north was a house built by Mr. Hillicker, a popular architect at the time. Now there are condominiums on either end with parking limited to their respective garages.
It would be cost prohibitive to get Little Beach back to this state. Dredging the fill put in years ago to keep the shoreline stable would take years. The runoff from the storm sewer outlet would have to be redirected as it is not safe for swimming.
As was mentioned at the Community Council meeting on this subject, the park land we do have, specifically the dock, is not being maintained by the city for lack of funds so how will a new park project be funded?
See you at the meeting downtown November 3!