FOLLOWUP: Myers Way encampment ‘resolution’ planned, Councilmember Lisa Herbold says

(WSB photo, May 30)

After a murder and other incidents, “resolution” is planned for the encampment on the east side of the north end of Myers Way, according to City Councilmember Lisa Herbold. From her newest weekly newsletter:

… On May 31st, I requested that the King County Regional Homelessness Authority consider this location for its State-funded work removing encampments in State Right of Way. The funding supports shelter and services to people living at a site. I’ve also learned that last week the Executive [mayor] also reached out to WSDOT (which owns most of the land under the encampment), also recommending the site for joint resolution. I was told that the decision was made recently to move forward with that joint resolution at Myers Way, which I fully support.

Because this work is supported with blended funding, both from the State Right of Way program, King County Funding, and City of Seattle funding, the LEAD Policy Coordinating Group, of which I am a member, also has to agree that LEAD should take on the project. The City contract for LEAD services requires resources focused on geographic areas. So, we have LEAD resources specifically focused on South Delridge and Highland Park, you may remember the work they did at the Rosella Building in December and the Roxbury/Delridge Triangle before that. The Myers Way/Arrowhead Gardens area is not currently included as a focus area, but that will hopefully change. On Friday, I requested that LEAD refocus its District 1 specific work to Myers Way. I hope to have an outcome of that request to report out next week.

The City’s Unified Care Team, which responds to encampments, reports it’s been a complex site for the City to work in for several reasons: because the majority of the site is not City property, and the site has challenging topography and requires an in-depth safety plan that take into consideration EPA regulations in run-off areas, soil saturation levels that affect use of heavy machinery used in site resolutions, and land inclines and soil shifting.

Nonetheless, the UCT has been on site providing trash mitigation and geo cleans for RVs; along with 3-4 visits per week from outreach workers who also mitigate fire hazards and conduct needs assessments for residents.

It’s been a month since Arrowhead Gardens residents met with city reps (WSB coverage here) who agreed that removal of the encampment was needed, but had no firm commitments. That was three weeks before the shooting that killed 35-year-old Reginald Moore.

18 Replies to "FOLLOWUP: Myers Way encampment 'resolution' planned, Councilmember Lisa Herbold says"

  • WS Resident June 9, 2023 (10:17 pm)

    I’m curious why the complexity of the topography of the “site resolution” has meant that they ignore the issue- thus allowing the trash to grow and making the problem worse. It feels like Seattle spends so much time “talking and planning” that most problems get worse and by the time they fix it, it’s been so bad for so long, that we forget what normal was like. 

    • 1994 June 9, 2023 (11:20 pm)

      WS Resident – you are so correct. Isn’t this called the Seattle Process? Talking and planning while the concerns get worse. Then the concerns, like homeless ‘camps’ and drug use on the streets, seem normalized.

      • Mike June 10, 2023 (7:32 am)

        Almost feels like that’s by design, right?

    • flimflam June 10, 2023 (7:54 am)

      WS Resident, agreed. Just reading the post you can get a sense of why this stuff is so “complex” – there are so many agencies listed and involved, of course it becomes “complex”.

    • Seattlite June 10, 2023 (11:22 am)

      Indeed.  Seattle’s first, middle, last names are “dither.”   Seattle never comes to a decision or resolution due to lack of motivation to get the job done.  I am sure that many of us living in West Seattle could have solved the Myers Way problem far more effectively in a shorter time period.  However, Seattle is over regulated and under skilled which impedes managing the city’s numerous problems in a timely manner.

    • Erik June 10, 2023 (12:24 pm)

      Agreed. It seems like the trend is that the city makes excuses as to why they can’t do anything until it becomes an overwhelming issue. Then a murder happens, or fire that usually kills someone and all of a sudden they have other avenues to explore that they supposedly didn’t have before. 

  • Rick June 10, 2023 (7:39 am)

    I think that’s the game plan .

  • Snowskier June 10, 2023 (10:14 am)

    Seems like the presence of a large camp dumping waste and spilling fuel would be more of an EPA issue than removing said camp.  The topography isn’t that tough, vehicles got in there, they can be removed.As for Herbold waiting until May 31st to take action, a full month after the Arrowhead meeting that was followed by a homicide…..smh.  That action should have been taken on Feb 28th, shortly after the camp sprang up.  Typical response from her, heavy on words, light on action and late. 

    • Lagartija Nick June 10, 2023 (1:37 pm)

      The incessant Herbold bashing has become trite and boring. Find a new dead horse to flog. She is one council member of 9. Where are the statements from the two at large members? Where is the Mayor’s statement? At least she DID put out a statement here. This area isn’t entirely city owned, multiple government agencies have jurisdiction here, why is she solely to blame for it’s condition? The reality is this falls on the Mayor, County Executive and the State to remedy, not one individual Council member. Besides she’ll be gone in less than a year, who are you going to blame then?

  • The Earl June 10, 2023 (10:58 am)

    Why is it that the complete mess some of this population gets completely overlooked and swept under the rug. When tons of garbage and hazardous waste are routinely removed from some of these sites. 

  • Alki resident June 10, 2023 (12:35 pm)

    I watched this encampment move in back in November. I specifically saw a SUV with broken windows with a male driver and four yes FOUR people as passengers, slumped over or nodded off during the daylight hours, moving in trying to access a way in with the vehicle ,as I drove by. That’s 8 months of garbage, vehicles piling up, crime, trees being torn down, human waste, over doses and fires . Now as usual it’ll cost thousands of dollars of our taxes to clean it up.  

  • KT June 10, 2023 (3:24 pm)

    Basically Herbold says the encampment is going to be cleaned up.   That’s it.  But when I guess we can start a betting pool on.

  • Gaslit June 10, 2023 (3:45 pm)

    This is pretty much classic Herbold. Do nothing for as long as possible until she can get some shine on her LEAD program, then she’s suddenly a woman of action. Remember this story and think about all of these encampments next time the buffoons in local government try to advance bad policy with climate and environmental protectionism as their rationale for doing so. 

  • D-Ridge June 10, 2023 (6:36 pm)

    The main/only reason I’m looking forward to Herbold’s departure is that these commenters blaming everything from inflation to homelessness on her will need to find something new to complain about.

    • Alki resident June 10, 2023 (9:41 pm)

      By you saying that, you clearly have no idea how little she’s done for the community. 

    • Rhonda June 10, 2023 (9:53 pm)

      What Alki resident said.

  • anonyme June 11, 2023 (6:33 am)

    It is abundantly clear from Lisa’s statement why the homelessness issue continues to burgeon in Seattle.  It is precisely because the ‘process’ is so fragmented and that there are so many fingers in that lucrative pie.  With so many parasites is it any wonder that billions of dollars have disappeared with so little in the way of results? I suspect that if the bureaucracy were streamlined and accountability demanded from each participant we might actually be able to address the problem itself – and at a lesser cost.

  • tim June 11, 2023 (12:49 pm)

    I blame Herbold for all the landlords that quit. Housing was much more available before she came on the scene. AND her coddling of addicts and thieves is too much to take, when I can’t even take my kid to the park. Good riddance.

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