Industrial Business illegally located in Residential Zone

[Jack]

I live in the Westwood area of West Seattle. We have lived here for a long time. We like our neighborhood and chose to live here because it was residential and not commercial.

In October of 2005 our neighbor relocated his business to his home. He is a contractor who pumps raw sewage. He also contracts with the city to water Seattle public property. This means he has LARGE vehicles, stinky hoses, many employees, an office separate from his home (one of those mobile construction trailers), people coming and going ON OUR street that is ZONED residential. The mobile construction trailer apparently is not considered a violation because it can be “moved easily” and is “temporary”. If it didn’t have wheels he would be in violation and be considered “permanent”.

This does NOT make for a nice place to live. I thought it was a temporary situation. It is not. After about a year of what I thought was temporary, in November 2006 I contacted the DPD and made a complaint. He was in violation of the city code and was cited. He took this case to court and lost. The judge said he was in violation. BUT, he is still operating his business.

What makes me so angry is that we are rewarding him with a City Contract and he is allowed to violate the CITY code without having to give up his city contracts.

I have contacted the DPD (Dept. of Land Use whose is job it is to stop him), King5 News, my district Representative, Parking Enforcement, City of Seattle business licensing, Labor and Industry, ground water protection service, the Seattle Times, and more. There has not been ONE thing done except give my neighbor a citation. He has received one citation and has failed seven inspections. I was told by the DPD it has taken some cases up to 10 years to resolve. There are only a couple of inspectors for the entire city who investigate over 4000 complaints a year.

My other neighbors have complained as well. NOT just me. If everyone was fine with it I would rethink my concerns but my neighbors keep asking me what more I know and when this guy is going to move his business.

If I had wanted to live next to a large industrial business I would have lived down by the Port of Seattle. I live in West Seattle, which is considered to be a residential neighborhood. I would like it to keep it this way.

Is there anyone out there who knows how to stop this effectively without resorting to poor behavior? I would love it if the entire WS blog complained to the DPD to keep WS what it should be! Here is the link http://www.seattle.gov/dpd/Enforcement/Code_Compliance/Filing_a_Complaint/default.asp Case # 1010691 if you are so inclined. He is violating Zoning Codes and Parking Codes.

The WS Blog is such a wonderful place to find support and advocacy. Thank you for this venue.

–Name Withheld for fear of retribution. (This gentleman can be rather intimidating)

Share This

[flowerpetal]

Jack, this is outrageous. You are so “right on” with your complaints. I would be happy to file a complaint with the DPD but I would need to know the address of this business. I live in Westwood too.

Share This

[karen]

Hey! I know that place! I’ve been wondering what the deal is! We don’t live right there but pass the area when I am out walking with the kids. I’ve seen the employees and we’ve started taking a different street because of all the people coming and going in the morning and afternoon. I was worried about the amount of cars and who all these people were.

I am NOT saying that there has been any trouble with the employees. However, with all the horrible things that happen to children, it does concern me to have so many people in and out of what is essentially our “backyard”.

Interesting to find out what’s up.

Thanks!!

Share This

[Jack]

I don’t want to post his address or information. I don’t want to incite a riot on my block. BUT, if you are moved to support my efforts you can find all the information via the Case#. Please don’t show up and picket or anything. All I am looking for is for him to move his COMMERCIAL BUSINESS to a Commercially Zoned property. The DPD is the only agency that can make this happen. The DPD does not know the Power of the WSBLOG! His case, as I understand it, will be sent to “legal” if it can not be resolved by the DPD. I am expecting this to happen in about 2020. LOL as they say!

Share This

[Ken]

While the legal aspect may be tilted in the business owners favor, (those gears do grind slow) This “smells” like a political issue that our city council members should be made aware of. Perhaps by registered letter. If he does have a city contract, he might be in violation of the terms of that contract which, as far as I know, can get examined pretty damn quick when some politicians are annoyed.

If you have exhausted all legal means at your personal level as a homeowner, don’t leave the political aspect out of it.

http://www.seattle.gov/council/committees/planning_comm.htm

Oh look. There are some newly elected members on the Planning, Land Use & Neighborhoods Committee

and the Chair Sally Clark, I suspect, needs a chance to counter the charges of “too business friendly”.

They were all very friendly when they were asking for endorsements from the 34th district. Some of them even got it.

Tom Rasmussen has a great staff and a good record of being responsive to neighborhood issues even when he is running unopposed.

Share This

[JimmyG]

One thing you can do is call SPD every night if he’s got one of his commercial trucks parked on a city street after midnight. It’s illegal to park a commercial truck between the hours of midnight and 6 AM on a residential street.

SPD probably won’t get there quick, but call every night and they’ll start to lay some parking tickets on his vehicles.

Good luck to you. Knock on wood none of my neighbors ever get any ideas like your neighbor.

Share This

[Jack]

Thank you. I emailed Ms. Clark immediately. I will let all of you know if she replies and what she suggests.

Share This

[WSB]

Just noticed this post – the forum is busy enough now that we don’t see everything right away – Jack, if you don’t hear from Councilmember Clark within a couple days, let me know at editor (at) westseattleblog (dot) com … or e-mail me there now anyway … I may have a few other ideas for this sort of thing — TR, WSB editor

Share This

[Jack]

I would like to commend the DPD for stepping up and taking further action on this matter in the face of NUMEROUS other valid complaints all over the city. I was contacted personally by the DPD investigator assigned to this case. The DPD is in the process of resolving this complaint by the means they have available to them. I would like to say that the DPD has the authority to cite but is not given the authority to take any further action against the person in violation. The DPD is taking this matter very seriously, and has been all this time. They are, for the first time, taking a NEW tactic on this kind of violator. I did not tell the DPD about my post on this blog, however they were aware of it. I believe this post is what propelled this case. I would like to thank the WSB for making this forum available to the public. I, for the first time, feel like I have affected change in a very complicated, overwhelmed, bureaucratic agency. I believe this would not have been possible if it were not for this blog. There is power in numbers. If you have an issue that is stuck in a governmental quagmire, I encourage you to speak up and make your challenge public. Thank you again. –Jack

Share This

[Author]

Posts