Seattle Times: Letter to the Editor

Hidden beach Street End steward, Libby, has her letter to the editor in today’s paper!

The Seattle Times, May 24, 2024

Re: “Funder of proposed play area at Seattle nude beach revealed, city plan draws ire” [May 16, Local News]:

Thank you for exposing the influence of wealthy homeowners on decision-making in our city.

This is all too familiar for those of us who care for public street ends. Per the city’s Shoreline Street Ends Program web page, “Shoreline street ends are City Council designated areas for public access and occur where streets meet a shore.” Street ends are by law places for citizens to enjoy access to water and views.

Street ends are regularly encroached upon by wealthy neighbors. Next to our street end one homeowner has 25% of the public property permitted for his private use. Another has construction fencing limiting access and delivery of materials for volunteers.

Friends of Hidden Beach was born out of fears that past and future private encroachments would continue to erode public access.

Waterfront homeowners can threaten legal action, which no city department wants to risk. This puts barriers in place benefiting private homeowners at the public’s expense. It goes against the intent, if not the letter, of the law, declaring street ends as places to be enjoyed by any and all ordinary citizens.

Decision-making by city departments should support public interests over private privilege and greed.

Libby Sinclair, Seattle, steward, East Harrison Shoreline Streetend, on behalf of the Friends of Hidden Beach