Judge lets Tent City stay until decision next week

Tent City 4 will be allowed to stay at its location in Woodinville at least until Tuesday while a King County Superior Court judge continues to hear testimony about the homeless encampment.

Judge Charles Mertel says he hopes to make a decision by early next week on whether Tent City 4 should be allowed to stay at the Northshore United Church of Christ or be forced to move.

As he signed the temporary order allowing the encampment to stay put for now, Mertel said he saw "grave problems" with Tent City 4's occupancy of the church property, but wanted more time to hear the facts of the case.

Attorneys representing the city, the church and SHARE/WHEEL, the tent-city's sponsoring organization, have been meeting with a mediator since Thursday to try to come to a resolution outside of the courtroom.

Tent City 4 moved to the church property in mid-May under protest by city officials who said that Tent City organizers didn't apply for a permit in a timely manner and that the land the church sits on is under a building moratorium that prohibits Tent City from applying for a permit anyway.

Rev. Sanford Brown, the executive director for the Church Council of Greater Seattle, testified about the importance of ministering to the homeless within the Christian faith.

Brown said he helped negotiate an agreement between SHARE/WHEEL organizers and the city of Kirkland that limits Tent City to a once-a-year stay in the city, lasting no more than 90 days. He suggested a similar agreement could be reached with Woodinville.

Tent City 4 currently has about 64 residents. The encampment came to the Eastside in May 2004, and has moved from Bothell to Kirkland, Woodinville and most recently Bellevue, where it was hosted by St. Luke's Lutheran.

This is the second time the encampment has come to Woodinville. Previously, it was located on city-owned property in the downtown area.

Rachel Tuinstra: 206-515-5637 or rtuinstra@seattletimes.com