A Seattle judge on Monday gave the city two weeks to crack down on nudity and sexual acts taking place at a public park, often in broad daylight.

King County Superior Court Judge Samuel Chung ruled that the nudity at Denny Blaine Park was considered a public nuisance and ordered the city to come up with a plan to address the lewd behavior at the park that runs along Lake Washington.

“The city asserts it has taken appropriate action to prosecute sexual misconduct and parking problems at the park. The court finds the evidence submitted by the plaintiff, and largely rebutted by the city, shows instead that the city has refrained from taking any action to address nudity and sexual acts in the park,” Judge Chung said, according to Seattle’s KOMO-TV.

The issue was brought to a head by a resident group, Denny Blaine Park for All, that sued the city after witnessing sexual acts performed openly in the park.

The park is a known gathering spot for nudists, since public nudity is legal in Washington state. But the lawsuit said more nonlocals have used the space for their erotic interests as of late.  

The group said neighbors took recent videos of men masturbating on benches and sidewalks, as well as near private homes right by the park. Plaintiffs also said “other forms of public sex” were observed in Denny Blaine.

“Today’s decision granted the injunction and confirms the City has failed to stop ongoing illegal activity at Denny Blaine Park,” the group said Monday in a statement. “The injunction is a necessary step to make the park safe for everyone, giving the City two weeks to do what it has ignored for years: respond to very real complaints and restore public safety.”

Another citizen group, Friends of Denny Blaine, told KING-TV that they believed banning nudity at the park would eliminate it as a safe place for free expression. The park is also a favored location for LGBTQ residents to get together.

In response to the ruling, a spokesperson for the city said, “We have consistently said that we will not tolerate lewd and illegal activities at the park, including masturbation, leering or public sex.”

“Efforts at Denny Blaine Park have included SPD enforcement of lewd conduct laws, deployment of park rangers, clearer parking regulations and enhanced parking enforcement, more frequent litter pickup, installation of portable toilets, and signage restoration,” the statement went on.

Judge Chung’s ruling gave city officials two weeks to come up with a plan to address the lawsuit’s concerns. The park is allowed to remain open in the interim.

• Matt Delaney can be reached at mdelaney@washingtontimes.com.