7:18 PM THURSDAY: The northeast corner of Junction Plaza Park is empty tonight. That’s where, for the last six months, a city-placed “hygiene station” had stood. The West Seattle Junction Association had long been asking the city to remove it, saying – as we reported in September – a small park in a struggling business district wasn’t the right place for it. Both residents and businesspeople said it had created dangerous conditions and spoke of being harassed or threatened by people hanging out and camping in the park because of it; police were summoned to the park many times to deal with disturbances.
The city had remained noncommittal about potential action, even at an online community meeting three weeks ago (WSB coverage here). But today, the portable toilets and sink were removed. We didn’t hear about this in time to ask the city Human Services Department for comment (which we’ll do tomorrow); WSJA executive director Lora Radford says she was told it’s been moved elsewhere in the city. Her reaction to the removal: “This was never about criminalizing homelessness, but more about the quality of life that was diminished for people experiencing chronic drug and mental health challenges. No one belongs in a tent as a permanent shelter, or in parks, or on sidewalks. To use public green space as an acceptable form of housing is shortsighted and dangerous. Thank you to all the West Seattleites who took action; together communities can force change.” The city placed another “hygiene station” in West Seattle, in the parking lot of the Salvation Army center in South Delridge, but to our knowledge there’ve been no complaints about it. The Junction, meantime, still has a permanent city-funded portable-toilet installation about a block west of the park, on SW Alaska just east of 44th SW.
Side note: The Junction removal comes one day after the mayor announced a proposal to expand programs to clean up trash in parks and on streets.
8:26 PM FRIDAY: Our inquiries to the city were answered late today – primarily, what happened to the hygiene station components removed from Junction Plaza Park. The lead department is not Human Services, but rather Seattle Public Utilities, whose spokesperson Sabrina Register tells us:
The handwash station located at Junction Plaza Park was relocated to 44th and Alaska to enhance hygiene services at the existing sanican. Both the sanican and the hand-wash station will receive daily cleaning and re-stocking by City vendors. In addition, Seattle Parks and Recreation staff will conduct daily visual inspections to ensure the station is in good working order.
The two sanicans at Junction Plaza Park were removed and will be relocated to another location which has yet to be determined. The siting team maintains a list of locations requested by other City departments and community members. The new site will be chosen following the same siting criteria as past hygiene stations. These criteria include high need, absence of redundancy, on or adjacent to City property, does not pose access barriers for facilities or private property, and ease of closing post COVID-19 response.
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