FOLLOWUP: What’s happened since crash/fire that damaged West Seattle Health Club, whose management said ‘enough is enough’

Those are three of the RVs parked along SW Andover across from the West Seattle Health Club that have just been tagged by Parking Enforcement. That’s one of the developments since the club was damaged early Wednesday by a gas fire that erupted after the building was hit by a vehicle – initially described by Seattle Fire as an “RV” and later as a “shuttle van.”

Seattle Police confirmed to WSB today that the vehicle’s driver has yet to be found; they said on Wednesday that it matched the description of a vehicle that fled Admiral Safeway after a shoplifting incident shortly before the crash.

(Photo courtesy West Seattle Health Club)

West Seattle Health Club management has told its members that the pool, in the wing of the building that was damaged by the crash and fire, will likely remain closed for a couple weeks. A Puget Sound Energy crew was at the scene this morning when we went to the area to check on a commenter tip about the tagged RVs.

WSHC says it’s been dealing with camping in the area long enough (we first reported on it almost three years ago) and “enough is enough” – they’re demanding city action. (We also chronicled an early-morning incident last July in which an RV careened through the WSHC lot and ended up on the bank over Longfellow Creek.)

City Councilmember Lisa Herbold‘s staff, meantime, shared with us what she’s been telling constituents who have contacted her about the incident and the nearby RV camping, including:

Councilmember Herbold has contacted the Seattle Police Department, including Chief Best. She has also contacted Fire Department Chief Scoggins, Mayor Durkan, Deputy Mayor Fong, and other Mayor’s Office staff about this. Mayor Durkan responded swiftly and personally to let Councilmember Herbold know that Chief Scoggins would be in touch. Chief Scoggins responded to say that he did not believe that this was an RV fire. Councilmember Herbold understands that people in the community believe that, RV or otherwise, that this was a vehicle that was being occupied as a residence. Councilmember Herbold has spoken with Dan Lehr, the V.P. of Operations at the West Seattle Health Club and he assured her that not only was this a vehicle modified for living in, but that it was a vehicle that was being resided in at this particular location.

(Several WSB commenters reported familiarity with the vehicle in the area.) Also from Herbold’s reply to constituents:

The City has an RV remediation program designed by SPD and SPU. Below is SPD Deputy Chief Wilske’s description of that program, in response to Councilmember Herbold’s request several months ago to clarify for her, and for the public, the approach SPD is taking to address the impacts upon residents and businesses resulting from several hundred RVs parked throughout the City serving as dwellings:

“As everyone has noticed, we are seeing an increase in people who are living in vehicles, both cars and RV’s. In some cases we are seeing significant impact to the surrounding neighborhoods, and have partnered with Seattle Public Utilities to implement a RV remediation program to address these problematic sites.

The ultimate goal of this program is to try to connect the people to services, insure that they move their vehicles in conformance to city law (primarily the 72 hr ordinance), and ensure we clean up any debris that is left behind. Using a team concept also allows us to insure we are consistent with recent court decisions regarding vehicle residents, so that we do not inadvertently expose the city to unnecessary legal jeopardy. The goal is not to impound these vehicles, but instead have them move regularly and be less impactful on the locations where they park.

The team uses specific criteria to determine which site will be prioritized for clean up, with an emphasis on Public Health (large amounts of debris, rodents, needles etc) and Public Safety (crime statistics, 911 responses, officer anecdotal information). We are currently doing 6 plus clean ups a month on large locations, with some additional work being done via the precincts and the parking enforcement officers, but again using the same prioritization criteria.”

One court case decision Wilske references is a Superior Court decision from earlier this year raised challenges about the city charging fees for impounded vehicles that serve as residences.

Herbold’s staff said she asked SPD and SPU when the area near the club was “most recently assessed for remediation.” Their reply: Last month, but it “did not qualify for priority cleanup for the month of September.” At Herbold’s request, they went back yesterday and still said “it did not score high enough for service.” She subsequently spoke with Mayor Durkan, her office tells us, saying the mayor then “agreed to reassess the Andover St. area to potentially move it up the list for remediation.”

–Tracy Record, WSB editor

71 Replies to "FOLLOWUP: What's happened since crash/fire that damaged West Seattle Health Club, whose management said 'enough is enough'"

  • A October 18, 2018 (5:34 pm)

    The person responsible for this needs to be held accountable. Prison time and restitution accountable. Not slap on the wrist, stay in jail for a couple days and be released accountable. This is a direct result of a city that doesn’t enforce it’s laws and caters to the law breaking addicts that are infesting it. Time to get tough Seattle. I have sympathy for people who are good people that are down on their luck but that is not what I’m seeing when i see the majority of these people that are roaming the streets in these rvs. The majority are drug addicts and are opportunists and are taking advantage of a city that is allowing them to use drugs and commit crimes without consequences. Strongly enforce the laws and make it tough for them to use drugs and commit crimes and a good percentage of them will move on and hopefully go back to their hometown if they came here from another city

    • Nolan October 19, 2018 (11:31 am)

      Enforcement is impossible to do at a scale that changes behavior. Let’s consider speeding tickets as an example: how many cops would need to be patrolling the WSB every hour of every day to pull over enough speeders that people stop speeding? Do we even have that many on the force? How much would all the new hires and patrol vehicles cost? Now apply that to the many thousands of homeless people and perhaps you’ll see the fatal flaw in your viewpoint.

      The ONLY way to solve homelessness is to give people stable housing. If you want to solve this problem, you need to advocate for that. Every person living in an RV is not going to leave just because you want to “get tough”.

      • Kram October 19, 2018 (1:54 pm)

        For how long do they live for free? 6 months? 5 years? What possible incentive would there be to move on if living for free?
        I would put housing number 2 and drug treatment/rehabilitation number 1. You are not addressing the core issue by just putting people in a room.

        • Nolan October 19, 2018 (3:07 pm)

          As long as they need it. People generally don’t need an “incentive” to do something productive with their lives: they need need food and shelter, and the guarantee that it won’t be pulled out from under them, so they can focus on building a stable life.

          Have you ever been unemployed and living off savings? Did you need an “incentive” to do something besides lie around all day, doing nothing, for weeks at a time? When you’re not fighting to fulfill basic needs every single day, you start wanting to do something purposeful. That’s human nature, not something that needs to be micromanaged by law.

          Prioritizing drug treatment over steady housing assumes that every homeless person is homeless as the result of substance abuse, which is demonstrably false: roughly 2/3 of homeless people have substance abuse problems, which means that 1/3 don’t. We need both, but supportive housing absolutely must come first.

          • Kram October 19, 2018 (4:20 pm)

            Prioritizing drug treatment helps a majority of the homeless. Seattle continues to pour money into shelters, housing, and other programs to the tune of nearly 60 million dollars a year. That’s just the city/federal budget. There is more in private funds. What we are doing is not working. People are so upset because the general feeling is that the rules do not apply to everyone equally. In this article specifically that this vehicle should not have been on the road. The very small percentage of people who are working full time and just quite can’t get that break they need to get into an apartment are not the issue here. It’s the majority who have dependency issues. With your logic we just simply give every homeless person an apartment possibly forever and everyone will start to work and build a life. That’s not reality and not the ‘only’ solution as you put it.

      • A October 19, 2018 (2:39 pm)

        Ok so you are saying that we should pay for housing so these people have somewhere to shoot up on our dime? I don’t really like that idea and there are a thousand reasons why. I’d be fine with tax money going to outreach programs that would include housing if these people agreed to go to drug treatment and be drug free while living in these houses. I’d really be fine with hiring more police officers and sweeping these illegal encampments and offering shelter and drug treatment to the campers. The campers that refuse services(over 90 percent of them) will be told to move on and not come back or be arrested for trespassing. Have to stay firm and keep enforcing the laws in regards to illegal camping and drug possession. Also have to enforce the 72 hour parking law to make it tough on the rvs. That is the only way out of this mess the city has allowed to happen

        • Facts October 24, 2018 (5:18 am)

          In Seattle cost of leaving the homelessness as is a cost of 60k per homeless person per year out of our pockets. This is the cost for many things including jail time,.. Providing affordable housing and mental health care lowers this cost to 20k per homeless person per year and gets them off the streets, gets them the help they need and allows them to be productive in the society. Frankly you dont have to do it to help them if you dont care, but you can save your self a ton of money and headache by supporting affordable housing for these folks. You dont have to like it, it just makes sense.

  • Heartless? October 18, 2018 (5:35 pm)

    What a bunch of malarkey from the city! They just don’t get it.

  • TiredofGovernmentGreed October 18, 2018 (6:19 pm)

    Classic City of Seattle line: don’t harass the homeless, let them be and do anything they want. No regard whatsoever for the problems created to taxpayers, businesses, or school children who wait for their ride at that corner every morning. Worst still, no immediate response to a problem that the city has allowed to exist all year long.

  • Sixbuck October 18, 2018 (6:28 pm)

    There is a distinct difference between the words “insure” and “ensure”. How will the city “assure” these actions will happen?

  • Jay October 18, 2018 (7:08 pm)

    Absolute BS. This blue bus had been parked in my neighborhood (Pigeon Point) the week preceding the crash, specifically outside of one house that has been a consistent problem (drugs). My wife called SPD to let them know they should go knock on the door if they are looking for the driver. Response from the operator was that no one was being sought in the case and that a “tip” wasn’t justification for officers to knock at the door anyway. First rate response all around!

    • Kayo October 19, 2018 (6:02 am)

      Ugh! This is beyond frustrating.

    • Sunuva October 19, 2018 (8:55 am)

      Maddening! The driver of that vehicle needs to be held accountable, but what can be done if the police aren’t even held accountable to do their jobs!?

  • Spooled October 18, 2018 (7:10 pm)

    That whole response from the city is depressing and unsatisfying. That they even have a rating scale for how bad an area has to get before they’ll take action is appalling. Even when they do act, after much suffering from anyone in that area, it’s a revolving door. The public should not have to clean up after these groups more than once.

    RV buyback program anyone? The gun buybacks seem to have great success trading firearms for $100 or $200 gift cards and then destroying the weapons. And, they’re largely funded by donations! (http://spdblotter.seattle.gov/2013/01/28/the-gun-buyback-by-the-numbers/).

    Enforce the 72 hour parking law aggressively. Ensure that impounded RV’s do not re-enter circulation. Destroy the impounded vehicles. Wrecking yards may need to be incentivized to take them as they’re probably low value scrap with a lot of non-metallic junk attached.

    I don’t see any of these derelicts parked in Renton, Newcastle, Factoria, Bellevue, Des-Moines, do you? No. Those cities say move along and back it up with enforcement.

    • M October 19, 2018 (8:52 am)

      I agree 100% A few months ago, there was someone camping on the 1-90 bike trail along the Mercer slough. Bellevue police didn’t waste time. That tent was gone within 24 hours.

  • tm7302 October 18, 2018 (7:11 pm)

    Tired of your elected officials, yet?

  • westmom October 18, 2018 (7:28 pm)

    why is cleaning up needles and debris after these people our responsibilty as taxpayers? If these people leave dangerous debris, I think they need to go… as in impound vehicles in violation of parking ordinances, arrest people endangering the public with hazardous waste. Why are we coddling those who refuse services and endanger residents in this neighborhood? Why are we trying to make bad behaviour and bad decisions “safe”…they aren’t safe. These “campers” are endangering everyone, including themselves. Shape up or ship out…we’ve spent millions trying to offer you help. Hit the road.

    • Dawso October 19, 2018 (12:14 pm)

      Why even wait for the debris to pile up? Keep these folks moving. They can be made uncomfortable and inconvenienced without taking their vehicles. Let the police do their jobs rather than being second guessed by elected officials. Sorry city council, your time in control is coming to an end.

  • dsa October 18, 2018 (7:53 pm)

    When a RV camper can cause so much damage it most certainly should move to the top of the priority list. What is the matter with their brains?

  • McFail October 18, 2018 (7:56 pm)

    Spend millions on reducing CSO overflows into Longfellow Creek and then say the area is not a high priority doesn’t make any sense.

  • Anonymous West Seattle Resident October 18, 2018 (8:15 pm)

    Why do you people keep voting for Democrats when they care nothing about law and order? All they care about is building bigger government with your tax money. Seattle is rapidly being transformed into the Detroit of the West Coast.

    • Mike October 19, 2018 (6:44 am)

      Because Republicans are that much worse, sadly. Anyone who votes for the Trump train is purely anti-American at this point. What we need are candidates on both Republican and Democrat side in our area that are not brain dead. Do I like everything Joe says for our district, no, is he the lesser of two evils, yes. Do I like Cantwell, no, but she’s 1,000,000 times better for us than brainwashed Hutchinson. Anyone who knows anything about Hutchinson’s history and the church she’s tied to knows it’s a profitable and legalized cult. We need to stop allowing the nut jobs (like Sawant) take over and have some legitimate candidates to vote for.

    • Sunuva October 19, 2018 (9:06 am)

      Absolutely wrong. Stop it with this false labeling and misdirection of blame. This is not a democrat vs republican issue. I identify Democrat for many reasons but it surely isn’t because I “care nothing about law and order”. Those of us on the “left” absolutely care about law and order and demand that people be held accountable for crimes and want our laws enforced.

      • Concerned October 19, 2018 (10:36 am)

        So who did you vote for?

        • Sunuva October 19, 2018 (2:43 pm)

          Since the only two candidates in the race were both progressives, I’m not sure why that matters in regard to this thread. I voted for Braddock, but again, not sure what relevance that has here. Would love to know why you are asking?

          The original statement above pretty much equated Democrats with anarchists, which is so wrong and needed to be called out. I’m pretty sure we all (non-anarchists) care about law and order, regardless of being R or D or I. I’m just really tired of everything coming down to this left/right division on concerns that are pretty common to EVERYONE.

          This city council is failing so hard on this issue, but I do not believe for one second that the reason they are failing is because they are Democrats. Nowhere in the Democratic party mission does it say Democrats don’t care or believe in the rule of law. That is simply ludicrous and offensive. Let’s stop dividing along those lines and maybe we’ll get to the root of the real problems instead of yelling at each other from opposite sides of the room. Sound good?

          • Um, No! October 19, 2018 (3:02 pm)

            Then why don’t the democrat/progressive counsel members and mayor start supporting the enforcement of the laws on the books?

            Sorry but this IS a liberal/progressive/democrat issue. They have been the ones in charge for years and they are the ones that have let this issue get completely out of control.

            With control, you have to take responsibility for your failed policies and governance under your watch. Who else is there to blame?

            Doing a 180 to complete conservative/republican control is not really the answer. The answer is not electing progressive/liberals who are so far left. I think we can all agree that has failed pretty miserably in this city.

        • Sunuva October 19, 2018 (3:25 pm)

          @Um, No!, good points. I don’t disagree that the city council is failing miserably and needs to be held to account for it. I also totally agree that they need to own this failure and I’m prepared to vote them out (well, the one I can anyways) I just don’t think Republicans would be any better (also sounds like we agree there), and I also don’t think the reason they are failing is because they are following a Democrat ideology. I expect representatives of the Democratic party to stand up for enforcement of the rule of law. If not, they need to go.

          Kinda feels like we are saying the same thing in different ways. Yes, hold them accountable, but no, it is not because one party believes in the rule of law and the other doesn’t. It’s just these particular representatives have done a MASSIVELY TERRIBLE JOB and need to be voted out ASAP.

    • what is happening October 19, 2018 (1:53 pm)

      Zero days since Trump has lied!

      • Concerned October 21, 2018 (2:47 am)

        Do you think that because people are tired of this BE and lack of ethics in the Seattle government that they’re automatically Trump supporters? Because I’m not

  • T October 18, 2018 (8:35 pm)

    Vote wisely. We keep electing the same and hoping for a new or different outcome.

  • WS Taxpayer October 18, 2018 (8:44 pm)

    (rhetorical) Question…when these vehicles are “contacted” by law enforcement, are they appropriately checked for valid insurance and registration? Emission compliance? Are they promptly ticketed if they cannot provide appropriate documentation?

    • flimflam October 18, 2018 (9:57 pm)

      nope.

    • Canton October 18, 2018 (10:45 pm)

      If the police would just check for valid id, sure the criminals would high tail it. How many of homeless addicted criminals would get caught on current warrants? Possibly out of state? Leave us the law abiding homeless, might be easier to solve from there.

  • Enough! October 18, 2018 (8:57 pm)

    This is utter bulls–t. I am a fed up, our City has wasted all of our hard earned dollars on programs that do not work. I need to see some results from all of our legitimate tax dollars wasted on SHARE/WHEEL/LIHI. Vote them out, including Herbold. In the meantime, my kind coworker gently guided me from the human s–t I almost stepped in while paying for parking on 5th, because I actually follow the rules. This absolutely NEEDS to be a priority, someone could have been killed, not to mention the club is now stuck with a unusable pool, has been complaining for months, cleaning up the garbage and now stuck with the mess. I am embarrassed of what this City has become and our leadership is abhorrent and inept. I would be fired if this was my response to an issue in my private company. We need programs that work. Coddling people who steal from Safeway for their next hit is not the answer

    • Guy Olson October 19, 2018 (11:47 am)

      Complaining about on a blog doesn’t do anything. Sad

      • WSB October 19, 2018 (11:57 am)

        Yes, actually, commenting on stories we publish here *does* do something – of course in addition to actual action such as voting, calling/e-mailing your representatives, etc. This is one of the few remaining places where the discussion can be seen by anyone (your elected representatives included). It’s complaining in walled social media that *really* doesn’t do anything, because it is invisible to nonmembers, unsearchable, and after a short time just vanishes. For better or for worse, this is archived and findable forever (now that we have an 11-year news archive, pulling up past stories and discussions has become increasingly enlightening). – TR

        • prayforrain October 20, 2018 (9:07 am)

          Herbold’s office reads this. If not they wouldn’t have reached out to you to follow up.

          Besides, when I wrote her about this story I included the original link to the WSB, and they responded. I can’t be the only one who did that.

          So it does do a little bit of good to make your opinions known here. Sure doesn’t hurt.

        • Guy Olson October 20, 2018 (1:54 pm)

          Bahaha!!!!! Complaining on a blog does nothing, just as you said. “Actual” voting and involvement works. But using a nickname on a blog and complaining doesn’t.

        • Guy Olson October 20, 2018 (2:49 pm)

          A blog is still social media.

  • jissy October 18, 2018 (9:14 pm)

    I swear, whenever I read something from a Seattle Politician all I hear is Charlie Brown’s teacher in my head.

  • KT October 18, 2018 (9:22 pm)

    Not my quote but one I saw somewhere else. ..
    … Seattle, the City that works for those that don’t.

  • 935 October 18, 2018 (10:25 pm)

    And the beat goes on.

  • TJ October 19, 2018 (12:13 am)

    Someone in a previous comment pointed out that the parking along Yancy was changed from angle parking. I thought about that and wondered why. Can we as a neighborhood petition to have it restored to angle parking? I have noticed that Met Market parks their truck down there and they have 3 parking lots that go with their building as they have offices in the building with the big flag. At the beginning of the school year we contacted the school district, the school bus company and the city to NO avail. Our children get on the bus at this corner. Honestly, it was safer when they grew illegal weed in the old factory building next door. I previously referred to the RV campers as my RV neighbors I should have put it quotes, as I was being sarcastic. I like my neighborhood. I have lived down here for 30 plus years and seen many changes. This has been the most upsetting. There was a time when I felt the city put it’s children and residents first. To find out that our “RV neighbors” have to be dirtier and less law abiding to get services frankly pisses me off.
    I do however want to give a shout out to Ray for not parking on Adams St. There are 2 residents that use Access everyday on that block and your kindness is much appreciated. I also want to thank all of you from around West Seattle that have shown your support for our little hood these last couple of days. From the fire to the truck losing its load its been a “ball”.

  • Chris October 19, 2018 (6:08 am)

    We wonder if people did not have to pay property taxes, making their homes a safe haven, and thus also not causing rents to increase because of higher property taxes, if there would be less people homeless????

    • Swede. October 19, 2018 (7:15 am)

      But the homeowners and the middle class is the main milkcow. We pay for everything so if they pulled property tax the whole system would implode because income tax is impossible here as you know.

      • Nolan October 19, 2018 (11:35 am)

        That’s a fantastic place to start. Anti-tax zealots banned state income and capital gains tax so rich people wouldn’t need to pay their fair share. Reversing that would go a looooong way towards fixing our regressive tax system and lightening the burden on the people least able to pay.

        • Eric1 October 19, 2018 (4:28 pm)

          Nolan. Why do you think the rich don’t pay their fair share in taxes? Do they breathe more air? Use more public services? Drive more cars? I would wager that a rich person does not consume a greater proportion of public services than the average Joe. The rich may pay a lower percentage of their income in taxes but from the example given in the news: a person making $25,000 pays 17% in taxes while the person making $250,000 pays only 4.4% in taxes. Sounds “unfar” until you do the math. The rich guy is paying $11,000 in taxes vs $4,250 for the poor guy. Seems progressice enough to me. If the rich want to become philanthropists more power to them but you seem to think that they should pay more just because they are rich.
          .
          Taxing the 1% is really just a feel good measure because, by definition, there just aren’t that many people to tax in the 1% bracket. As is mentioned in other comments, the middle class is the cash cow and when the city’s taxes on the 1% comes up short, the clowncil will tax the 2%, then the 5%, the 10% and pretty soon everyone will be wondering how did we get here. I am not rich, I am just tired of the city clowncil tring to make me poor coddling people who don’t want to play by the rules.

  • anonyme October 19, 2018 (7:06 am)

    I’m glad to see that the majority of people are fed up and no longer making whiny excuses for criminal behavior. Seattle has become a city with no checks and balances, resulting in a one-party rule that becomes more and more extreme. Time for some law & order. Stop the enabling – and that includes our worthless city government.

  • T Rex October 19, 2018 (8:17 am)

    Did any of you really think Lisa Herbold was going to do anything?

    I say we give one of those RV’s that are still down there her home address. Make up some crazy story that a city council member has offered to let you stay in front of her house so she can show the people of Seattle that you are good sincere people who are just “down on your luck”.

    How would you feel then Ms. Herbold, OK for everyone else’s neighborhood, it is ok for yours?

    I hope when re-election for these useless socialist cartoon characters is upon us that the people of Seattle will speak and vote them ALL out of there. We slammed dunk the head tax, we can slam dunk them!

    • LK October 19, 2018 (11:59 am)

      T Rex: This is a brilliant idea. Was thinking some form of gentle but effective neighborhood vigilante justice may be in order since those running this city can’t seem to come up with anything except excuses.

    • Jethro Marx October 19, 2018 (12:53 pm)

      Ahh, manipulating vulnerable populations for your own amusement, with a side of derision, garnished with sloppy grammar: now where have I seen such sentiments? Oh, that’s right, our President, as he makes America great. Do you have any suggestions that aren’t stupid? Please don’t let it be the T-5 jail/internment camp.

      • Senseless October 19, 2018 (7:08 pm)

        “Do you have any suggestions that aren’t stupid?”- Jethro Marx

        I would pose the same question to you, Jethro- but I already know the answer.

      • Cmon October 19, 2018 (7:34 pm)

        Misrepresent everything much, jethro?
        Why would you call the T5 homeless refuge camp suggestion a jail/internment camp? I don’t think anyone is suggesting people are held against their will. It seems a centrally located space offered to homeless people that had security, power and sanitation would be welcomed by those looking for a place to call home. It would certainly beat current alternatives.

  • BT October 19, 2018 (8:46 am)

    We are seniors and paying almost $175.00 for car TABS for a 25 yr old Jeep!
    Plus we have to do emmission test too!
    City says do this, or else.
    So we do as honorable citizens OBEYING the Law.
    Fair?
    What’s wrong with this picture…Seattle?

  • Bubba October 19, 2018 (9:40 am)

    If a vehicle is unsafe, it can be removed from the road.
    If a house is unsafe or a blight, it can be condemned.
    If a house is a crack house, it can be seized.
    Somehow we have all 3.

  • LK October 19, 2018 (9:59 am)

    That first statement was a classic red tape\pass the buck reply. If this doesn’t rate high enough on their criteria for clean up then it’s due for an evaluation. We’ve all seen this area swarmed with RV’s for far too long and that image of the vehicle busting through the wall of the club is frightening…someone could have easily been killed. Checking for insurance, registration, and criminal warrants would be a good start, along with enforcing parking limitations. Common sense please.

  • Mickymse October 19, 2018 (10:52 am)

    How about everyone take this anger and direct it at our Port Commissioners — https://www.portseattle.org/form/webform-online-contact

    We have a perfectly paved, currently unused space nearby at Terminal 5 that could be used by a large number of RVs for parking, and where resources could then be provided for bathrooms, trash pickup, providing case management, etc.

  • rundmc October 19, 2018 (11:48 am)

    Another option – start a private citizens brigade to tow the RVs in the middle of the night to the front of the homes of the Mayor and all the city council members. When they are towed, move more back to their homes until they finally understand what the people who pay their salaries are dealing with. (I’m sure their streets would of course immediately be on the top of whatever the h–l that ” RV remediation program” is). These RV people are smart – they don’t park in front of the homes of the rich and powerful in Seattle; they park in front of small businesses and neighborhoods that are middle class. So, maybe if citizens banded together to move them to the front of homes of the wealthy, this issue would get solved. And, after all, this would just be citizens who are “down on their luck” – because our public officials don’t care about us and do nothing for us – being desperate and “doing what we need to get by.”

  • WSNative October 19, 2018 (11:48 am)

    The people who run this city, the county and most of the state are democrats. They are the ones who have allowed this situation to evolve into its present state. The mayor is going to spend 90 million of OUR tax dollars to build housing for “the homeless”. The people who will eventually move into this housing will be allowed to continue their drug and alcohol use in the housing.
    I have a friend who was the construction supervisor of a project to build a multi-floor building for “the homeless” in Ballard. He told me that the siding for building was a special order from Japan, very expensive. The interior plumbing fixtures and cabinets were all special order top of the line. He said he couldn’t afford them for his house. It goes on and on yet the citizens of Seattle and King County faithfully elect and re-elect these democrat/socialists. In the 34th District Eileen Cody and Joe Fitzgibbon, both Democrats are running unopposed. The Republicans, Libitarians and Indepents don’t even bother to enter the race because the voters of West Seattle will faithfully re-elect these two. If the voters continue to elect these democrat/socialists then our community will keep sliding downhill.

    • WSB October 19, 2018 (12:10 pm)

      If you don’t run for something, you have a 100 percent chance of being not elected. If you do run, your chances are better. 11 people ran in the 34th District State Senate primary – the district includes part of Burien, as well as Vashon, White Center, and vicinity – including Republicans and independents. More apropos to this situation, the elected-by-district council seats, all seven of them citywide, are up for election next year. As of this moment, no one has filed to run yet in our district (1 – West Seattle & South Park). Go for it!

    • Nolan October 19, 2018 (3:10 pm)

      No amount of wishful thinking will compensate for an insufficient budget, no matter who’s in office at the time. If your friend’s statement is credible, he can go to the council or the media with those reports to be examined.

      If Democrats were actually socialists, providing housing wouldn’t be an issue for anyone who needed it, homeless or otherwise. You’re giving them far too much credit.

    • West Seattle since 1979 October 19, 2018 (3:47 pm)

      We had Democrats in office for many years, and never had these problems. I think it’s the people that are being elected, not the party they belong to.

  • Jim P October 19, 2018 (12:30 pm)

    “and ensure we clean up any debris that is left behind”

    Maybe task the vehicle owners with cleaning up their own bleeping messes?

  • TJ October 19, 2018 (3:02 pm)

    My bad parking along Andover should be angle. I always think of that as part of Yancy St and it’s not.

  • StopEnabling October 19, 2018 (4:04 pm)

    The City is enabling addiction by allowing this continue. It helps no one, including those addicted to drugs and/or alcohol.

  • zark00 October 19, 2018 (4:07 pm)

    Mayor Durkan, the City Council and the SPD have failed this city.

  • VS October 19, 2018 (5:22 pm)

    As a city we definitely need to separate the issue of homelessness from the issue of drug addiction from the issue of mental illness. They all need to be handled differently. If you are not addicted to drugs or mentally ill you will use the social services to improve your situation. However, drugs & mental illness make it near impossible to care for yourself let alone house yourself once you are homeless. Our city leaders need to quite pretending living in a car, an RV or under a bridge is acceptable. If you can’t follow the laws that the rest of us are forced to, then you need to be forcibly removed from the streets, placed in rehab or a hospital that can help you. If I or a family member was addicted or mentally ill I would want this for myself or them.

  • Kat October 20, 2018 (1:01 pm)

    Pictures of above RV’s with orange tags taken and posted on Thurs. Now Sat at 12:30, two of the three shown have not moved. These RV’s and a couple others have been on Andover and 28th Ave SW for months (since last winter) Some reported several times. I have been told it is legal for them to park on the Northside of Andover as it is “industrial” although the 72 hour limit was still to apply but not legal to park on the Southside of Andover nor on 28th Ave SW due to their size, yet they do and are never towed that I have seen. On the rare occasion they get tagged with the orange tags, I have seen the orange tags just ripped off. A couple RV owners seem to take better care of their property and pick up their trash. These folks seem to have been avoiding a couple of the other RV owners who have more issues/trash/etc. One neighbor reported so many long-term parked cars/trucks/large work vehicles/trailers/RVS on 28th Ave SW near the gym and the park south of it this Spring that when nothing was done and nothing was done – yet it was difficult to even drive down the road – took more of a video of the street while trying to drive down it and posted it. THEN about half of the long-term parking issues were addressed (in the short-term) and the rest – again nothing happened.

Sorry, comment time is over.