West Seattle Crime Watch: Police raid in North Delridge

Even though marijuana is legal in our state, that doesn’t mean every use is legal, or that every plant is legal. This afternoon, a tip about a police raid in North Delridge led us to this scene near Yancy/28th, where police say they have found an allegedly illegal marijuana-growing operation. It generated so many complaints, they told us at the scene, they obtained a search warrant. Seattle City Light also arrived to cut off power. We’re expecting more details later.

25 Replies to "West Seattle Crime Watch: Police raid in North Delridge"

  • kvk June 3, 2014 (4:52 pm)

    Just left Allstar/West Seattle Athletic Club which is right across the street. Police and utility vehicles are still there.

  • furor scribendi June 3, 2014 (5:09 pm)

    Good! Bust ‘um…

  • Crystal June 3, 2014 (5:25 pm)

    I noticed a strong Marijuana smell yesterday, while leaving all star fitness. That explains it….

  • drahcir61 June 3, 2014 (5:54 pm)

    Hi hosey the cases of Cheetos!!!

  • Edward June 3, 2014 (6:46 pm)

    That smell has been there for close to 3 years. Who cares? Cops have nothing else to do but stop something that is legal now from growing? Wow.

  • Del Martini June 3, 2014 (7:29 pm)

    @ Edward — 6:46 pm June 3, 2014
    If you are a pot proponent, I would think you would want strict adherence to the Washington State pot law lest you invite the Feds to come in and crack down hard. It needs to be done right, with enforcement of every single line in the law or else risk having it all backfire.

  • Del Martini June 3, 2014 (7:39 pm)

    The property has been an illegal mess for years:
    *
    1 – The prior owner leased out the big old building that was demolished a couple years ago. Just before it was demolished it was discovered it housed a huge grow operation. SPD came out at the request of the demolition contractor and SPD basically looked the other way. Times have changed now, and I imagine SPD is being told to run a very tight ship around pot grow operations, distribution and sales.
    *
    2 – Prior owner built an illegal and unpermitted asphalt parking lot with negative drainage impacts on Longfellow Creek. The parking lot also encroached into the Yancy Street Right of Way, which is basically taking our public property for private use. Prior owner was then required to remove illegal and unpermitted parking lot.
    *
    3 – Prior owner had fencing installed that has encroached upon and carved out a chunk of City/Parks property near the Longfellow Creek Trail and into the Yancy Street Right Of Way.
    *
    4 – Property was chronic site for illegal dumping and graffiti due to the prior owner not giving a rats a_s about it because they lived anywhere but nearby.
    *
    So in keeping with the the properties sordid history, the new owner as of March of this year seems to be the same kind of scofflaw as the prior owner.
    *
    http://info.kingcounty.gov/Assessor/eRealProperty/Detail.aspx?ParcelNbr=9358000825

  • buckwheat June 3, 2014 (8:25 pm)

    Great job SPD!

  • Lisa June 3, 2014 (9:23 pm)

    @Del Martini. Pssht. I’m with Edward. I sure hope there is more to this story because cops already have their hands full already with REAL criminals and crimes with actual victims. I am not the least bit worried about a few of God’s green plants nor the folks consuming them. Lest not forget we are the 99% and prohibition isn’t working.

  • Mitchell June 3, 2014 (9:49 pm)

    What a bunch of SCUM. Thanks for the info Del Martini, very insightful. I say we retro the law back and say no no no to legalized marijuana. Get ’em SPD! Go after them all and get them all!

  • Brooke Miller June 3, 2014 (10:43 pm)

    Thank you, WSB! I have suspecting for a while that marajuana was being grown there (strong smell everytime I took my dogs to dragon fly), the sketchy jeep and RV coming and going, and the “Washington apple storage” sign. So glad you reported on this and the police took action!

    • WSB June 3, 2014 (10:47 pm)

      Sorry to not have additional details yet – it was suggested at the scene that more info would be made public by now, but at this point looks like I’m going to have to rustle it up in the morning. So watch for a followup. – TR

  • rocky raccoon June 3, 2014 (10:54 pm)

    Yeah, great job SPD! Cuz the war on drugs has wasted billions of dollars, having absolutely no effect, other than destroying lives and enriching those who operate the prison system. But don’t let that stop you!

    News flash: Americans love drugs. Always have, always will.

  • Hopscotch June 3, 2014 (11:29 pm)

    That explains it. I noticed the smell of pot just outside the All Star/WS athletic club front door on more than one occasion. I kept looking around to see if someone was smoking pot in their car!

  • cj June 4, 2014 (1:13 am)

    So does this mean they are getting close to actually issuing some licenses with the new MJ laws?

  • CandrewB June 4, 2014 (5:36 am)

    According to Del Martini’s link, it looks like it was sold for $1,050,000 last month but the County thinks it is worth $244,000 for tax purposes.

  • A source June 4, 2014 (8:48 am)

    This was Rain City Cannabis @RainCityCannabis on IG

  • Peter June 4, 2014 (11:33 am)

    That “characteristic” smell has been there for at least a year or more, as others have also noted. I catch a good whiff almost everytime I go to All-Star/WS Fitness and when the wind is from the south, which is the prevailing around here. I always wondered, because although there can be other sources for that smell such as certain local vegetation, that place just looked like too good a setup for a (possibly illegal) grow operation.

    My question is if I noticed, and numerous other people noticed to the point where it was almost common suspicion, then what took so long for the cops and/or feds to move in? Especially since it’s technically still illegal at the federal level. I get the decreased emphasis part and I’m personally neutral on the topic, but seriously – the place was so obvious.

    • WSB June 4, 2014 (11:38 am)

      We’re still working on a followup – SPD is still promising more information. This apparently was the growing area for a dispensary (not in West Seattle) – working on confirming that too. – TR

  • Bread June 4, 2014 (1:09 pm)

    Was this the grow for Rain City Cannabis on
    Rainier and Magnolia?

    • WSB June 4, 2014 (1:17 pm)

      Yes, I have confirmed that in a conversation with Rain City’s proprietor and will have the followup story up shortly. – TR

  • Oakley34BLAM June 4, 2014 (2:00 pm)

    I find Del Martini’s comment funny. You complain about all the nuisance behavior of former tenants, and decry that the site had become a haven for dumping and grafitti etc while vacant. Well what will happen if the owner is driven out of business because of this recent action? More dumping etc and another vacant lot. How is that better than a potential taxpayer growing medicine for patients of various ailments? The country is changing, and we are the vanguard. Shame on SPD, yet again.

  • furor scribendi June 5, 2014 (11:38 am)

    I agree with Mitchell and many others. The whole dope/pot industry is a crying shame, locally and elsewhere. Pure unadulterated greed. I echo others saying it’s time to retro the law and become the vanguard to say goodbye to recreational pot.

  • NomDePlume June 5, 2014 (3:05 pm)

    Sorry to burst your bubbles, but the strong “weed smell” wasn’t coming from a growing operation, as that smell only arises when it’s burned. Which it wasn’t. Nope, the smell was coming from the skunk cabbage growing along Longfellow Creek. It’s a natural plant to the region, and gives off a very pungent smell when it pollinates.

    The grow operation next door is merely an odd coincidence.

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