Seattle Parks to close Alki Beach early, turn on park lights to prevent crime, damage

In an effort to curtail fireworks and overall lawbreaking, Seattle Parks is closing Alki Beach Park early and turning on lights at area ballfields this weekend.

Archive: Alki Beach cleared out Saturday night after fights, arrests

Alki Beach Park will close daily at 10 p.m. instead of 11:30 p.m. The park will reopen at its usual time of 4:30 a.m. daily. The new closure times begin Friday night through Monday, July 5.

The city says the temporary change is to deter illegal use of fireworks and to help mitigate illegal activities during the holiday weekend.

“Alki Beach Park has experienced an increase in public safety issues, including acts of violence, excessive noise violations, illegal fires, and unpermitted events,” the city said in a news release.

Fires are allowed in designated fire rings but must be extinguished by 9:30 p.m.

Parks says there are five staff members at the park each night to remind beachgoers of the rules. Additionally, Parks works alongside the Seattle Police Department to prevent illegal behavior

In addition to temporary beach times, the parks department also plans to turn on lights at ballfields around Seattle on Saturday and Sunday nights to deter people from using fireworks.

Lights will turn on around 8:30 p.m. and most will be turned off from about 10 p.m. to 11 p.m., depending on the field, according to the city.

“Fireworks are illegal in the city of Seattle and will destroy the artificial turf on the fields or surrounding facilities,” the city said in a news release.

The city estimates replacing a full-size turf field costs about $1.2 million.

Lights at the following fields will be turned off at 11 p.m.:

• • Bobby Morris at Cal Anderson Park, 1635 11th Ave
  • Delridge Playfield, 4458 Delridge Way SW
  • Garfield #1, E Cherry St & 23rd Ave
  • Genesee Upper and Lower Playfield, 4316 S Genesee St.
  • Georgetown Playfield, 750 S Homer St.
  • Hiawatha Playfield, 2700 California Ave. SW
  • Interbay Athletic Complex, 3027 17th Ave W
  • Jefferson Playfield, 4165 16th Ave. S
  • Lower Woodland Playfield #2 and #7, 5201 Green Lake Way North
  • Walt Hundley Playfield, 6920 34th Avenue SW
  • Washington Park Playfield, 2500 Lake Washington Blvd. E
  • West Seattle Stadium, 4432 35th Ave. SW

Lights at the following fields will turned off at 10 p.m.:

• • • Loyal Heights Playfield, 2101 NW 77th St
    • Mickey Merriam Athletic field complex, Magnuson #5 (Rugby), #6, #7, 7400 Sand Point Way N.E.
    • Miller Playfield, 330 19th Ave. E
    • Brighton Playfield, 6000 39th Ave S.

Lights will be turned off at the following grass fields at 11 p.m.

• Ballard Playfield, 2644 NW 60th St.
• Rainier Playfield, 3700 S Alaska St.
• W Queen Anne Playfield, 150 W Blaine St.

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