Pre-2015: Shared use of the park
For decades, Denny Blaine Park functioned as a neighborhood shoreline park used by a broad mix of visitors. Occasional, discreet clothing-optional sunbathing occurred primarily along the beach and coexisted with general park use, including families and nearby residents.
2017: Petition filed with the City
Concerned residents submit a petition requesting enforcement of existing laws and park rules as conditions continue to worsen.
2020: Conditions worsen during COVID
Pandemic-related disruptions halt any enforcement progress and conditions worsen significantly.
March-April 2024: Policy proposals and stakeholder process
The City proposes to officially allow nudity in much of the Park. Neighbors raise concerns, and the City eventually drops the proposal.
April 2025: Lawsuit filed
Neighbors file a lawsuit seeking to address ongoing nuisance behavior and restore the park as a usable public space.
2025-2026: Physical changes implemented
The City formally designates the beach and waterfront as “clothing optional” and installs a barrier separating those areas from the upper park, in violation of the State Shoreline Management Act. The change reduces visibility and concentrates nuisance activity in the lower beach area, but does not eliminate it from the upper park.
2015: Public safety issues emerge
Neighbors begin reporting increases in drug use and illegal activity, including illegal parking.
2021-2023: Escalation and documentation
Park inundated with pervasive nudity, including on the beach, in the upper areas, in the parking lot, and even along neighborhood streets. Neighbors and visitors document activity in the park, including repeated incidents of public sexual conduct in open areas.
Late 2025: Court directs City action
A judge determines that the conditions at the Park, including the public nudity, are a public nuisance and directs the City to take steps to address those conditions, acknowledging legitimate long-standing public safety concerns.
2026: Current conditions
The nuisance continues and the conditions that make the Park a nuisance worsen as the weather improves.
2024: Ongoing conditions and no resolution
Despite meetings and proposals, conditions continue to worsen. Neighbors describe ongoing incidents and limited enforcement response.