Parking at Three Tree North

scubajen · Post by **scubajen** » Thu Aug 13, 2015 11:46 am

I have been to Three Tree super early the past three days, and both yesterday and today different people (fishermen) have mentioned that apparently a police officer had told some people that if they didn't parallel park there, that he would issue tickets.

Has anyone else heard this? First, the idea of parallel parking at that small parking lot seems kinda ludicrous. Second, there are no signs. But... I also wonder if this cop was trying to scare the fishermen for some reason. Or -- maybe the fishermen got their story wrong and are spreading a rumor with no base in reality.

I was wondering if anyone has been there to dive and has been told how to park or threatened with tickets by anyone in any official capacity?

I continue to head-in park there and am not worried. But I'd like to get at the truth behind this story... and make sure that we aren't going to start getting surprised with tickets that to my mind would not be legal to issue (no signs posted, for starters).

Jeff Pack · Post by **Jeff Pack** » Thu Aug 13, 2015 1:04 pm

I've always parked nose in (so others can park), and spoken with the police there about parking as well. I call BS.

WylerBear · Post by **WylerBear** » Thu Aug 13, 2015 4:00 pm

Been diving there for years and although the number of places to park has reduced over the years, no one has ever said that you had to parallel park.

mpenders · Post by **mpenders** » Fri Aug 14, 2015 12:33 am

We were at TTN tonight, and parking was pretty packed with fishermen. We were parallel parked by the hedge, across from the entry. One of the local residents drove by and told us that Burien police had been issuing tickets there the last few days. We figured we were fine where we were...until she pointed out that the "No Parking" sign also indicated that we couldn't be within 30ft of that particular sign. I hadn't noticed that detail on previous visits to the site, and wonder if it's new. We ended up relocating when another spot opened up...

We spoke to a few residents while gearing up/down, and most seemed tired of the fishermen. Funny how the one warned us divers regarding the parking citations, but said nothing to any of the fishermen that were near us.

Jeff Pack · Post by **Jeff Pack** » Fri Aug 14, 2015 7:59 am

That no parking sign is not city posted signage, but put up by the homeowner. Ort at least the last one I saw was. It had no parking, nothing about distance.

I asked the police officer that was by one day specifically about parking there, and he said it wasnt an issue and he didnt care.

So I dunno. Probably like DIW, resident complain, police come out and ticket everyone, and then go away for awhile.

Grateful Diver · Post by **Grateful Diver** » Fri Aug 14, 2015 11:09 am

Perhaps the city of Burien has a budget problem and has decided to let motorists help resolve it ...

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

pogiguy05 · Post by **pogiguy05** » Fri Aug 14, 2015 6:30 pm

This is what it looked like around 11am Thursday 8/13 and Tom and I decided to do redondo and not deal with it. Last year the lady on the right called police on fishermen. The truck to my right should not be parking there and if you parked along the hedge there is no access to get between the vehicles. The car in front dropped off tow young boys (fishermen) then left.

enchantmentdivi · Post by **enchantmentdivi** » Sun Aug 16, 2015 7:33 am

This is the time of year that I avoid 3-Tree. Parking sucks, the neighbors are grumpy, and it's just too dangerous. There are way too many boats trolling way too close to shore. I narrowly missed getting hit in the head by a downrigger + buzzbomb at Sund Rock a few years ago (a safe place supposedly as a reserve!!). I saw my life flash before my eyes as I happened to look forward/up at just the right moment to see it and duck. Otherwise, I would've been hit square in the head. It's in my top #5 scariest dive moments. So when I see all those boats trolling in the exact area that I'm going to be diving in, I take a pass and head somewhere else. Not worth the risk.

Also, I was there last about two weeks ago on a weekday morning, and there were also a bunch of fishermen on shore. My dive buddy and I discussed ending our dive short of the exit point for just that reason. We didn't want to get in their way of casting and risk getting snagged. So, we surfaced near the house that used to have the moose antlers. That SHOULD HAVE been safe as that is private property, and the fishermen shouldn't be down that far. I popped up to see a 20-something guy casting right on me. He looked half-embarrassed and said, "oh, I thought you were a fish...". NO dingdong, fish do not blow bubbles. It was hard, but I held my tongue.

So, 3-Tree...I'll see in you in October.

mpenders · Post by **mpenders** » Sun Aug 16, 2015 10:18 am

Jeff Pack wrote:That no parking sign is not city posted signage, but put up by the homeowner. Ort at least the last one I saw was. It had no parking, nothing about distance.

It looks pretty legit:

It's also pretty new. You can see this area in detail on google maps (earth?), and this sign wasn't there previously. We also noticed a nice little blue dot of paint, painted on the asphalt near the hedge...looks to be about 30ft to the left the sign...

fmerkel · Post by **fmerkel** » Sun Aug 16, 2015 3:15 pm

It's getting so pretty much ALL recreational activity is ultimately being limited by parking. It behooves all the players to used decent judgment and neighborhood behavior as fits the location.

Gdog · Post by **Gdog** » Sun Aug 16, 2015 4:59 pm

fmerkel wrote:It behooves all the players to used decent judgment and neighborhood behavior as fits the location.

+1 to that

Jeff Pack · Post by **Jeff Pack** » Mon Aug 17, 2015 7:27 am

mpenders wrote:
Jeff Pack wrote:That no parking sign is not city posted signage, but put up by the homeowner. Ort at least the last one I saw was. It had no parking, nothing about distance.

It looks pretty legit:

WP_20150815_19_02_25_Pro.jpg
It's also pretty new. You can see this area in detail on google maps (earth?), and this sign wasn't there previously. We also noticed a nice little blue dot of paint, painted on the asphalt near the hedge...looks to be about 30ft to the left the sign...

yup, thats a new sign and valid posted signage. Interesting.. thx for the pic.

FlyinV · Post by **FlyinV** » Mon Aug 17, 2015 3:18 pm

I don't get to 3 Tree much.

Can someone note on this picture from Google Earth where this new sign is?
Where the blue dot is?

Are the cars shown in this picture legally parked?

Gdog · Post by **Gdog** » Mon Aug 17, 2015 4:27 pm

mpenders · Post by **mpenders** » Mon Aug 17, 2015 4:38 pm

FlyinV wrote:
Are the cars shown in this picture legally parked?

Yes.*

*Certified 100% accurate**

**Certification void in the wake of unforeseeable natural disasters, virulent worldwide zombification, or inaccuracy.

Gdog · Post by **Gdog** » Mon Aug 17, 2015 5:09 pm

Awesome!!!

FlyinV · Post by **FlyinV** » Mon Aug 17, 2015 5:14 pm

Thanks Gdog!
Now I know what you guys are taking about.

Alaska-Herb · Post by **Alaska-Herb** » Mon Aug 17, 2015 5:39 pm

Just a thought becasue someone asked if it was a city owned no parking sign. Is it possible that the neighbor who's driveway this is protecting put the sign up. In Sitka home owners use wood 4x4s the city use metal posts

Gdog · Post by **Gdog** » Mon Aug 17, 2015 5:55 pm

Very possible. The sign in front of the garage on the opposite side was wooden as well.
One thing we as divers should keep in mind is that however the sign originated we should strive to follow what the intent of the sign is, in order to keep good will alive between the residents and divers. The locals seem pretty unhappy about the conduct of the fishermen in general, but so far it doesn't seem like we are in the same boat. It would seem prudent to obey the signs in light of that.

dwashbur · Post by **dwashbur** » Tue Aug 18, 2015 7:44 am

We were there yesterday and met a videographer who has been documenting the octopus hatch told us that, even though he was over 40 feet away from the sign the day before, he still got a $50 ticket. After his dive he was out there taking pictures and measuring and all kinds of stuff so he could fight it. I don't know what that means for the overall discussion, but I figure too much information is better than not enough.

fmerkel · Post by **fmerkel** » Tue Aug 18, 2015 8:07 am

Be interesting to see how that comes out.
100' rock was lost to parking issues....sorta. The 'illegal' train crossing is the reason but the locals call the cops. OTOH THEY cross there when they want to go to the beach.
Mr. Angry has been trying to get Day Island closed for years. He seems to have settled down but he used to call the cops once in awhile and has circulated a petition in the neighborhood.
The City hears about parking issues all the time from the Seacrest area as all the different factions maneuver for parking.

Yes, parking is a major problem. The dive community has to be proactive in dealing with this if they want to maintain access. We don't have the luxury of parking a 1/4 mile away with the gear we carry.

Tangfish · Post by **Tangfish** » Tue Aug 18, 2015 10:21 pm

I have dived TTN a few times this past week as well and one of the times the resident of the house behind the angle-in parking (closest to the dive site) came out and we had a nice long chat about the parking situation there.

She was very friendly and explained that a couple neighbors there (the one with the sign in question and another up the embankment behind that little building) were on a warpath lately.

She said that she has talked to multiple cops who've been patrolling, ticketing and sometimes towing people and she's gotten different answers from different cops. Some say that we have to park parallel to the hedge (ridiculous), others say angle-in as it always has been, and still others say wherever it doesn't say no parking is OK. She is understandably frustrated, as we are, and has been prodding the powers that be to just put up proper signage so that people can know what to do or not do as far as parking there.

She did say that we shouldn't park anywhere along the hedge on the curve, where the sign is at the driveway, because people have gotten towed there. She even let me park partially obstructing her garage so that I wouldn't risk it (very nice of her). I have also heard, from someone else, that the No Parking sign there at the end of the guy's driveway is not city owned and that he put it up, but I cannot say if that is good info or not. The lady told me that he has had problems with people parking right up to the edge of his driveway so that he has a tough time getting out (he has a big truck). I personally won't be parking along the hedge on the bend anymore.

Parking parallel like this black truck in the gravel area makes zero sense for all involved.

I think that we should collectively contact the city of Burien and ask them to provide us definitive guidance on what is allowed there parking-wise and also communicate that they should provide signage and striping so that its clear to the public. Leaving it up to the discretion of whatever cop happens to field the call from an angry neighbor on that particular day isn't a good long term answer for the neighborhood or the dive or fishing communities.

Lastly, please remember that these residents have legitimate complaints, even if we are not the ones who did wrong. Please be extra respectful toward them and we will hopefully continue to be welcome there as divers.

Gdog · Post by **Gdog** » Wed Aug 19, 2015 2:34 pm

+1 on that Calvin

fmerkel · Post by **fmerkel** » Wed Aug 19, 2015 2:51 pm

I agree with everything you said.

Can a private person, get a 'legitimate' [NO PARKING] sign, (that does appear to be real) and put it up? I kind of don't think so.
The placement does not appear to be appropriate either. I'm sure there are placement rules and that somehow doesn't look right.

Desert Diver · Post by **Desert Diver** » Wed Aug 19, 2015 4:56 pm

Two no parking signs on the same post. Post ever so nicely cemented in. No city name in small lettering on the sign. Doesn't look like city work. But I have no idea.

http://www.roadtrafficsigns.com/no-park ... -k-9378-30

http://www.roadtrafficsigns.com/parking ... AqUn8P8HAQ

Looks like $25 will do it.

Northwest Dive Club