The City of Burien announced Wednesday (July 23) that Seahurst Park – closed since last October – will re-open to the public at 8 a.m. on Monday, Aug. 25. “Crews are currently putting finishing touches on the lower parking area, doing landscaping and installing new plantings along the shoreline,” the city said on its Facebook page. A formal ribbon-cutting to officially celebrate the completion of the project is being planned for later. The project, which began Oct. 28, 2013, removed 1,800 feet of shoreline concrete armoring in the northern section of the park replacing it with more natural habitat for forage fish and salmon rearing. Improved habitat aids recovery of species, such as bull trout, steelhead and Chinook salmon, listed under the Endangered Species Act. Along the park shoreline 25,000 tons of sand and gravel were added, as well at 17,000 plants. The public will be able to enjoy the new stretch of natural beach with several stairway access points, and new park features including a fish ladder, picnic shelter, playground, lawn areas and parking lot. “We’re very excited about the completion of the project and the reopening of Seahurst Park,†said Burien Mayor Lucy Krakowiak. “With nearly a mile of natural beach, this park has become the crown jewel of urban Puget Sound waterfront parks.†The Seahurst Phase II Shoreline Ecosystem Restoration Project is a joint City of Burien and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers project. Partners include Puget Sound Partnership, Washington Department of Fish & Wildlife, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Green/Duwamish Watershed Forum, King Conservation District, Salmon Recovery Funding Board, and Washington Recreation & Conservation Office. The project’s overall purpose is to improve marine habitat for salmon, restore natural sediment processes, and restore the beach to pre-seawall conditions. The project construction contractor was CKY Inc., a civil and environmental construction company headquartered in California with a Seattle office. Phase I, completed in 2005, removed more than 1,000 feet of seawall restoring Seahurst Park’s south end beach. A local and regional priority, the project used state and federal funding. A priority for the Green/Duwamish/Central Puget Sound Watershed’s Chinook salmon recovery plan, the project ranked high on the Puget Sound Partnership’s large capital projects list for Puget Sound Acquisition and Restoration funding. The Corps managed construction and provided the maximum $5 million federal funding limit for this type of project. City partners provided $3 million state capital dollars allocated by PSP through the Puget Sound Acquisition & Restoration fund; $647,000 from the Environmental Protection Agency and Washington Department of Fish & Wildlife’s Estuary & Salmon Restoration Program; and $510,000 from the Green/Duwamish Watershed Forum through the King Conservation District. “Thanks to everyone for your patience,” the city added. For more details on the Seahurst Park restoration project, which has been going on since Oct., 2013, click here. You can also visit the city’s website on Seahurst here.]]>
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9 Million dollars..We could have bought 3 houses on Three Tree Point and put in a Boat launch with valet parking. Or 4-6 houses on Lake Burien for a new park.. Just a thought.
That’s funny. We(as in) the feds and state were 8 million.
Oops, my bad. We were the whole $9,000,000+
After the norovirus outbreak on Horseshoe Lake, do you really think it would be wise to open a public beach at Lake Burien?
So thats what a natural beach looks like huh?
Wonder what kind of beach I was remembering it looking like when I was a young lad and used to go go down there fishing and swimming back in the 60`s then?Hmmm
Don`t quite remember it looking like that but then I have probably killed more than few brain cells since those days of yesteryear.
I’m sure glad that it will finally reopen, just before the kids have to go back to school. Sad thing that so many of our local beaches are privatized, and the only local access for almost a year has been Eagle Landing Park (which I physically cannot walk at the moment) or that tiny little strip at 3 Tree where it’s a challenge to park and some of the locals will give you suspicious looks (can’t blame them, either).