WSP Blake Island Talk at CYC

Summary: Simple, if you care about Blake Island, then complete the online survey before April 30th!  Also make comments here.

On Thursday, April 9th 2026, five representatives from Washington State Parks presented “Blake Island History and Master Planning.”  Over 50 people attended and enjoyed a Washington State themed potluck before the talk. Alexandra Sullivan presented.  Nikki Fields, WSP Real Estate Manager answered many of the questions as did Area Manager Kinnan Murray (who you may have met at Blake Island,) Planning Manager Michael Hankinsen, and Admin Carol Palay.  These folks drove up from Olympia for this presentation.

Most Telltale readers know and love Blake Island as a nearby wilderness respite from the hectic city. Blake Island Marine State Park lies within the traditional territory of Coast Salish Indigenous people whose present-day descendants include members of the Suquamish Tribe and the Muckleshoot Indian Tribe. For thousands of years, Indigenous people harvested ling cod and crab off the west coast of the island and dug clams on several parts of the island’s beaches.

History

(Paraphrased from the WSP website) It has long been purported that today’s Blake Island was the birthplace of Chief Seattle (Sealth) of the Suquamish Tribe in the 1780s. Local tribes ceded ownership of the area to the US federal government under duress in the Point Elliot Treaty of 1855, keeping rights to harvest natural resources in their usual and accustomed places, including the islands and waters surrounding Blake Island.

Beginning in 1854, the timber on Blake Island  was harvested to support a sawmill and ship building business at Port Madison. After the timber on the property was depleted, financial problems led to foreclosure by a Seattle bank, leaving the Island uninhabited.  

William Pitt Trimble moved to Seattle to practice law and invest in real estate in the 1890s, and with his wife Cassandra (Cannie) Ford Trimble, selected Blake Island to build a spacious summer home. Trimble drew on his legal skills to eventually clear title to the land and purchased the northern 2/3 of the island in 1903. Cannie loved their island retreat, anticipating the season by preparing their 47-foot launch, the Athena, towing a barge filled with food, steamer trunks, and livestock penned in stalls made of hay bales. Cannie stayed on the island with the children all summer, while William commuted to work in Seattle on the Athena. Tragically, Cannie Trimble drowned on December 7, 1929, when the Trimble’s car rolled off of a Seattle waterfront pier into Elliot Bay. William and the two children in the car escaped, but Cannie could not be rescued. Devastated, William Trimble never again set foot on the island.

In 1957, the Washington Board of Natural Resources (WSPRC) considered a proposal to reacquire the formerly state-owned property on Blake Island for public access. The current owner offered the property for $250,000. At the same time, a group of business people announced plans to develop the island with a “convention facility, golf course, yacht basin, luxury resort hotel and development of “high class view homesites” if the state was unable to exercise its option to purchase the island, as no appropriation for purchase of the land had been authorized by the legislature. At the Board’s meeting on November 4, 1957, the decision was made to acquire the property by means of a three-way transaction with the Simpson Logging Company. Simpson purchased the Blake Island property, then traded it for a parcel of state-owned timberland near Shelton appraised at $249,437.

On March 1, 1961, the WSPRC entered into a Concession Lease Agreement with William S. Hewitt, doing business as Hewitt’s Catering Service, to construct and operate a unique restaurant within Blake Island Marine State Park. Design features of Tillicum Village’s buildings and grounds were drawn from a wide array of Northwest Coast Indigenous cultures. Producer Greg Thompson developed a dance presentation for Tillicum Village guests. The result, “Dance on the Wind,” incorporated traditional dances and stories into a choreographed theatrical presentation, which ran for more than 18 years, with more than 1,000 performances.

In 2009, the concession lease for Tillicum Village was transferred to Argosy Cruises, who sought to increase attendance by updating cultural elements at Tillicum Village. Seeking guidance from academic and Indigenous community leaders, a new program focused on local Indigenous relationships with the land and sea and an allegorical story about tribal strength in unity. On December 13, 2021, Argosy Cruises announced the termination of the concession at Tillicum Village, stating: “Unfortunately, COVID-19 and the loss of revenue needed to continue operating on the island has forced us to scale back…”  The cost of updating the building to code was a major factor in the decision.

WSP Master Planning Process

The Washington State Parks Blake Island Master Planning process was begun in the Fall of 2025 and is expected to conclude in the Fall of 2026 with a WSP recommendation to the State legislature.  How the legislature reacts to and funds the recommendation is to be seen.

Phase One: “Hopes and Concerns”  

Phase One concluded in October 2025.  WSP conducted studies of the park and facilities and estimated costs for facilities maintenance and upgrades.  Marina and dredging were highlighted as the marina is lacking ADA compliance and is falling into disrepair.  Dredging would be required to support both larger public access vessels and vessels needed to carry the equipment to work on the park facilities.  Over $30 M is estimated just to support dredging and required marina upgrades. Note that in 2023 and 2025 budget requests for Blake Island were not approved by the Legislature.

Utilities, Existing buildings, Staff Housing, Office and Restrooms were evaluated and budget requirements were estimated. Six levels of facility rehabilitation or new constructions were estimated.

WSP published budget estimates.  (there is no “minimum maintenance" option)

Public meetings were held at Port Orchard and in Ballard. Thirty-one (31) comments were received in September and 19 comments were received online in Oct. and Nov 2025. About 390 people completed the phase one online survey. The WSP takeaways are shown in the image below.

WSP takeaways from Phase 1.  Public opinion varies on the divergent themes.

Phase 2: Alternatives

This phase ends on April 30th.  There is still time to participate in the survey and/or make your own comments.

The survey outlines 4 alternatives:

1. Back to nature where the breakwater, marina, Tillicum Village would be completely removed.  A new Welcome center, Comfort Stations, improved staff housing and a small boat launch would be constructed.

2. Rustic Retreat where a new marina would be constructed, New Comfort Stations, Improved Staff Housing, New Welcome Center and a small boat launch would be added.

3. Concession: Would require a Public-Private Partnership.  Property would be leased to a concessionaire who would hopefully provide public access to the park.

4. Recreation: Including Overnight Accommodations (Lodge and Cabins) to be built by a Concessionaire. 

WSP hears from CYC

Many people who love Blake Island attended.

The next part of the presentation was an open comment and question period.  There were many really great comments and questions about the alternatives, the master planning process, and the park itself.  WSP folks passed out note paper for comments and also a QR code directly to the online comment form.

In the fall, results will be compiled into a report to the legislature, requesting appropriate funding for the WSP recommendations. It is important that every CYC person or Seattle neighbor complete the survey to provide the most input from a plurality of residents.

[Opinion] The author believes that an estimate for a minimum required budget to maintain the marina and/or existing facilities in usable condition has not been made publicly available.  Is simple maintenance required by law to include updating to code or ADA compliance?  I have made a comment that the only options presented are marina and building replacement and dredging. A minimum maintenance budget estimate should at least be publicly available or an explanation of why it is not should be published.

Participate in the Survey here and/or make your own comments.