FOLLOWUP: State, city days away from removing 1st/Cloverdale encampment

Thanks to this WSB commenter for mentioning that those “no parking” signs had been placed near the 1st/Cloverdale encampment, one day after a gunfire report led to this arrest and weapon seizure. We’ve reported before on the encampment, which is on both state and city land; representatives of both governments said at last month’s meeting of HPAC, the nearest community coalition, that a resolution was in the works. After hearing about the “no parking” signs today, we checked with WSDOT spokesperson James Poling, who replied, “Our collaborative monthslong work with our partners at this site has led to the final steps of a site resolution taking place at this location, with the city’s no parking signs part of that process.” The signs are marked with the dates March 29 (Friday) through April 2 (Tuesday). HPAC also says they’ve been told the site will be cleared within a week.

Grilled Cheese March 28, 2024 (7:38 am)

I wonder how much it costs the city to clean up these encampments. I imagine a lot. Do they try to provide housing?

Actually Mike March 28, 2024 (8:45 am)

Good–better late than never, I guess. This has been an ugly and dangerous mess for a long time. I will never understand exactly why it takes Our Fine City and whoever else is involved so long to come to terms with situations like this but I’m glad they’re finally about to do something about it now.

Erik March 28, 2024 (10:43 am)

My thoughts exactly. It’s almost like the city needs to see people dying or a serious threat of violence to do anything about it.

westseattlebob March 28, 2024 (12:22 pm)

It’s a process! Remember the camp that was a chop shop as well under the first ave S. bridge?? That took a long time as well due to it being both under state and city land jurisdiction. Just glad that it finally has been resolved and remediation is going to happen. Do we know if they are planning on doing anything to prevent this camp from happening again??

Rhonda March 28, 2024 (12:35 pm)

City officials need to stop waiting until the medical examiner removes bodies, bullets are flying, and the stolen vehicle collection surpasses the number of tents and RVs before dismantling these crime festivals.

snowskier March 28, 2024 (1:36 pm)

Given the number of encampments that are jointly on city, county and state land and that have been cleared in the past, I find it amazing that the agencies involved don’t have a coordinated team on speed dial to quickly clear future encampments. With the amount of time it takes to clear these, it seems like they are recreating the wheel each time and it usually takes a violent act or fire to push them into high gear. It just boggles the mind that they can’t move on these faster.

Justin March 28, 2024 (2:15 pm)

Have a heart! These are people!!! Where are they supposed to go? I support EVERY encampment!!!!

flimflam March 28, 2024 (5:16 pm)

So you have no problem at all with drug fueled car theft chip shop camps like this one? Wow.
- Jeff March 28, 2024 (5:46 pm)
  
  Did they say that? No? So don’t put words in people’s mouths.
- Chicatita March 28, 2024 (10:20 pm)
  
  Not to mention all the car break-ins and neighborhood thefts.

DRW March 28, 2024 (2:49 pm)

I’ll say it. Mayor Harrell has been keeping up with his campaign promises. Downtown is getting cleaned up. RVs are getting tagged and moved faster. The groups of open air drug markets have been greatly cleared up. I hope this trend continues.

Pinto March 28, 2024 (3:27 pm)

We all know that cartels are responsible for smuggling massive amounts of fentanyl up the I5 corridor from the border. I wonder how these encampments are tied to such organized crime. if you connect the dots it’s easy to assume that the cartels are using semis to smuggle fentanyl in around the country and relying on homeless encampments as distribution sites.

Joe March 28, 2024 (5:59 pm)

I would guess that these are the end users, not the dealers/distributors.

Mike March 28, 2024 (5:08 pm)

This camp is illustrative of many. It is a terrible mess, garbage and trash all over amidst “living” spaces. These folks appear to be unable to take care of themselves. They are a harm to themselves. They need our care, not left to live in this kind of condition.

aa March 28, 2024 (5:35 pm)

Has Justin seen this area? No one who has a heart would want people to live there. Wanting areas like this to be cleaned up does not mean we don’t care about people. It’s because we do care. No one should live in that kind of filth and no one should be allowed to destroy property without consequences. I don’t think we are helping anyone by allowing these types of garbage filled encampments to exist.

Jeff March 28, 2024 (5:47 pm)

Was it “destroying property” when the land was ripped apart to put the house you live in up?
- waikikigirl March 28, 2024 (6:49 pm)
  
  Yes the property is destroyed to build a home but then it is cleaned up and lawns are planted, trees and flowers are planted too. No one should live the way these people do in these encampments but the land they are on shouldn’t be trashed the way they are either and YES everyone deserves a warm comfortable home.
- aa March 28, 2024 (8:44 pm)
  
  Sanctimonious Jeff

Concerned March 28, 2024 (8:43 pm)

Glad to see this. Last month, I contacted both WSDOT and SDOT as the parking and pedestrians on the roadway curve were becoming a safety hazard and toxic living environment due to human waste, wrecked leaking vehicles, and most recently vehicle tires. Some of the delay in clean-up may be due to lack of shelter space. Definitely need to rethink earlier response to limit the formation of the encampments and use the resource savings to support getting the homeless into shelters and permanent supportive housing.