Trending...
- Tacoma: Street Closures Projected to Start August 25 for Residential Street Restoration Program Maintenance Work
- Spokane: City Council Approves Mayor's Orders for Declaration of Emergency
- City of Spokane Receives $1 Million in Wildfire Housing Assistance
~ The City of Spokane is taking legal action against the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) in an effort to close a large homeless encampment located on state property in an East Central neighborhood. The 25-page complaint, filed Monday, alleges that the encampment has had a "tremendous negative impact" on the quality of life, safety, and health of the surrounding neighborhood and community.
Mayor Nadine Woodward said that the city has been patient and tried to work with the state but their requests for a transparent plan with a realistic timeline have been ignored. She added that they are taking this action before anyone else gets hurt.
The complaint states that WSDOT has failed to stop illegal drug and criminal activity at the encampment which has resulted in property crime, trafficking in stolen property, litter and rubbish, reckless burning, vehicle prowling and stolen vehicles, burglary, loss of business, intimidation and harassment, rape and indecent liberties, and threat to public health and safety. It also claims that WSDOT has failed to prevent occupants from entering vehicles or buildings with the intent to commit crimes or organizing theft for sale or trade. Furthermore, it alleges that the accumulation of litter is jeopardizing community health and safety as well as generating an inordinate amount of property damage and loss of business revenue for local businesses.
More on Washingtoner
The legal action comes after a propane tank explosion caused a fire at the encampment on Friday which resulted in serious injuries to two occupants. This incident is similar to one which occurred at a homeless encampment near Seattle's Ship Canal Bridge which WSDOT said will be closed by the end of this month due to protests by parents and neighbors. Both encampments are close to schools.
Mayor Woodward said that they expect WSDOT to act quickly and decisively as they did in Seattle in order to protect neighborhood interests. The complaint asks a judge to declare the property a drug, chronic, and public nuisance as well as grant a warrant of abatement authorizing immediate closure of the camp along with securing of the property, cleanup of debris, and reimbursement for costs incurred by the City for security services such as garbage collection.
Mayor Nadine Woodward said that the city has been patient and tried to work with the state but their requests for a transparent plan with a realistic timeline have been ignored. She added that they are taking this action before anyone else gets hurt.
The complaint states that WSDOT has failed to stop illegal drug and criminal activity at the encampment which has resulted in property crime, trafficking in stolen property, litter and rubbish, reckless burning, vehicle prowling and stolen vehicles, burglary, loss of business, intimidation and harassment, rape and indecent liberties, and threat to public health and safety. It also claims that WSDOT has failed to prevent occupants from entering vehicles or buildings with the intent to commit crimes or organizing theft for sale or trade. Furthermore, it alleges that the accumulation of litter is jeopardizing community health and safety as well as generating an inordinate amount of property damage and loss of business revenue for local businesses.
More on Washingtoner
- Spokane City Council Members Introduce Tenant Protections
- Gigasoft 2026 JavaScript Chart Comparison: ProEssentials, Highcharts, SciChart, LightningChart, ECharts
- Experienced eXp Realty Agent Kerri Lawless Guides Buyers and Sellers Through Life's Next Chapters in St. Tammany Parish
- Supreme Garage Door Repair Redirects Marketing Dollars Into North Texas Communities
- Spokane: Flags Lowered in Honor of Dolly Parton
The legal action comes after a propane tank explosion caused a fire at the encampment on Friday which resulted in serious injuries to two occupants. This incident is similar to one which occurred at a homeless encampment near Seattle's Ship Canal Bridge which WSDOT said will be closed by the end of this month due to protests by parents and neighbors. Both encampments are close to schools.
Mayor Woodward said that they expect WSDOT to act quickly and decisively as they did in Seattle in order to protect neighborhood interests. The complaint asks a judge to declare the property a drug, chronic, and public nuisance as well as grant a warrant of abatement authorizing immediate closure of the camp along with securing of the property, cleanup of debris, and reimbursement for costs incurred by the City for security services such as garbage collection.
0 Comments
Latest on Washingtoner
- Kentucky's Plane Crash Data Lands Far from the State's Busiest Airports
- DBF Viewer 2000 v9.29 Now Supports Batch Field Renaming Across Multiple Files
- StockResearch AI Initiates Coverage on Apple (AAPL) With New Report Examining Valuation, AI Strategy and Future Growth
- Continuous You Foundation Opens Applications For A 100-year Artist Grant
- Netberg Announces the Aurora X2 Switch Series, Built on Xsight Labs' Programmable X2 Silicon
- Spokane: Legislative Session Held to Approve Proposed Community Safety Campus
- Tacoma City Council Adopts Resolution of Intent to Work on Unified Regional Approach to Reduce Homelessness
- Pete Verbica: America Needs Statesmanship and Common Sense — Not a Cult of Personality
- Heidi G. Villari of The Villari Firm, PLLC Recognized in The Best Lawyers in America 2027 for Construction Law and Personal Injury Litigation
- When the Coroner's Report Isn't Enough: Colorado Families Turn to Private Autopsy for Closure
- Nearly One-Third of CRE Asset Managers Make Major Capital Decisions on Gut Instinct, New Survey Finds
- RemoteBridge Names Dr. John N. Just, Ed.D. Chief Executive Officer
- Project CIVICA Report Finds 10,680 Non-Citizen Indicators on New York Voter Rolls — Including 88 Records with Recent Voting History
- New Analysis Details Three Converging Forces in AI and Workforce Policy Behind a $37 Billion GDP Reduction
- Revenue Optics Launches Pricing and Revenue Growth Management Practice, Names Shafohi Alamgir Vice President
- Popular AI planner Voiset launches version 2.0 and enters MENA at LEAP 2026 with full Arabic support
- Diginyze eCommerce ERP Module Creates Single Source of Truth for Enterprise Operations
- CasaPerks and CredHub Partner to Help the Multifamily Industry Strengthen Resident Activation Through Credit-Building Rewards
- NaturismRE expands international research programme with Health & Wellbeing Survey
- Tacoma: Applications Now Being Accepted for a Position on the Planning Commission