Myers Way Parcels now home to encampment

| Myers Way | West Seattle news

Since we reported last Monday on an encampment, Camp Second Chance, moving from a South King County church to a privately owned parcel on Myers Way, much discussion ensued in the story’s comment section. The camp’s nonprofit supporter said there that it would be moving this weekend. Passing through the area this past hour, we saw that it has – the site, owned by a dump-truck company, is completely clear … and the camp in our photo above is now set up across the street and a bit to the south inside the gates to the main entrance to the Myers Way Parcels, the land that Mayor Ed Murray recently announced the city would keep rather than sell. The area outside the gate had been an unofficial staging area for RV campers earlier this year when the city had plans to open a “safe lot” in Highland Park, but that plan has long since been canceled. Some RVs have continued to camp along Myers Way in that area – half a dozen were in view earlier this week; this morning, we saw two. We have a question out to Camp Second Chance’s sponsor to verify whether that’s what is now set up on the city property.

ltfd July 24, 2016 (6:02 pm)

I’m sure they will take good care of the “environmentally sensitive” parcels.

WSB July 24, 2016 (6:09 pm)

During the moment we were able to pull over for the photo – inbetween other things and unable to stop, park, and ask – I noticed someone pulling weeds. The area near the gate is mostly gravel-covered, as seen from the road and from the tour we went on in May with Councilmember Herbold and others. – TR

dsa July 24, 2016 (7:44 pm)

It looks like the start of a mega camp. I wonder if there had been a lock on the gate.

dsa July 24, 2016 (7:49 pm)

It looks like the start of a mega camp. I wonder if there had been a lock on the gate. There are “No Trespassing” signs on both sides of the gate.

dsa July 24, 2016 (8:49 pm)

Sorry for that, it looked like I could edit my post while it it was waiting in approval que.

flimflam July 24, 2016 (9:42 pm)

so is it public or private? – it seems like if the city was going to possibly sell the parcel it’s “public”.

WSB July 24, 2016 (9:59 pm)

This is city-owned land. The nearby site where what we think is the same camp was located last week (no reply so far to our requests for confirmation or denial of that) is privately owned.

Howard July 24, 2016 (10:26 pm)

The less fortunate get all the breaks! ;-)

trina July 25, 2016 (12:04 am)

Yes we are camp second chance.

flimflam July 25, 2016 (5:56 am)

well now its clear why the city (ed) didn’t want to sell this land.

WS since '66 July 25, 2016 (7:42 am)

Hey Howard “The less fortunate get all the breaks! ;-)” is an
oxymoron. Btw, would you like to trade places with one of them so you can “get
all the breaks”?

john July 25, 2016 (8:04 am)

To the Seattle Green Space Coalition, Plant Amnesty and the Neighborhood Councils that claim credit for changing the Mayor’s proposal and keeping these parcels that the city cannot afford, cannot maintain and did not want, what now?

Luka July 25, 2016 (4:13 pm)

Yeah this is tickling me right now. All that “more parks at any cost” yelling probably alerted some homeless people/advocates that there was some unused land near Myer’s Way. And once the mayor took development off the table, they saw their chance to move in.

Good on you Neighborhood Councils. The one time you helped Seattle’s low income population was by accident. I’m glad you could make room for them in your backyard.

skeeter July 25, 2016 (8:45 am)

Wait – so is this a legal encampment or illegal encampment?

In related news, the motorhome/tent camping that was cleared out under the West Seattle bridge a few months ago is back and growing fast. I (try to) jog there and the odor of human waste is getting really strong.

Something is going to break if the homeless/camping population continues to increase at the rate we’ve seen in the past couple years.

WSB July 25, 2016 (8:51 am)

I have a question out to the city department responsible for this land as to whether the encampment has permission to be there. Generally, a permitted encampment site, of which there are only a few thus far on city land, is pre-announced by the city, among other things. West Seattle has never had an officially permitted encampment on public land.
- skeeter July 25, 2016 (3:19 pm)
  
  Thank you. Let us know what you hear back!