Kirkland, Woodinville criticize decision on tent city

By Young Chang
Seattle Times staff reporter

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Officials from Bothell's neighboring cities said yesterday that King County Executive Ron Sims can expect to receive rebuking letters concerning his lack of public notice in deciding to move a homeless community to grounds near Bothell.

The Kirkland and Woodinville city councils are drafting letters to Sims.

"Our issues are primarily with lack of notice, lack of information and lack of process," said Woodinville City Manager Pete Rose. "It's a potential annexation area bordered by four cities."

Sims announced last week that he had agreed to let Tent City 4, a community of homeless campers, move onto county-owned land next to the Brickyard Road Park & Ride near Interstate 405. The move, scheduled last Thursday, was delayed after angry residents expressed concerns about the plans and about the lack of public notice.

Bothell Mayor Patrick Ewing said his letter to Sims earlier this week described that his city was "disappointed and dismayed at the lack of public process that was involved in this high-impact decision." It also said the situation was "totally unacceptable."

Meeting planned King County Executive Ron Sims and County Council member Carolyn Edmonds will host a community meeting Tuesday about Tent City 4 at First Evangelical Lutheran Church in Bothell. The meeting is scheduled from 7 to 9 p.m. at the church, 10207 N.E. 183rd Street.

SHARE/WHEEL, sponsors of the tent city, signed an agreement with the county this week allowing Tent City 4 to move to the Bothell site May 17. But the Brickyard Area Community for Fair Process, a newly formed group, filed a lawsuit against the county executive in King County Superior Court on Wednesday.

Members of the group also picketed in downtown Kirkland yesterday while collecting blankets and food for the homeless.

"We don't have any beef with homeless people; our beef is with Ron Sims and the lack of due process," said Steven Pyeatt, an organizer of the Brickyard group. "There's a way you have to do things in this county. He has bypassed all of that."

The city councils of Kirkland and Woodinville say that's the message of their letters, too.

"We'd like some knowledge and input about what service demand this is going to have," Rose said. "Whether or not they have treated it as we would have to treat any other growth-management development request."

Kirkland's letter to the executive will focus on "courtesy communication," said Assistant City Manager Lynn Stokesbary. The City Council also has planned to discuss the issue of homelessness at a June 1 study session with the city's Human Services Advisory Committee.

Late yesterday, Sims and Metropolitan King County Councilwoman Carolyn Edmonds announced that they will host a community meeting Tuesday about Tent City 4 at the First Evangelical Lutheran Church in Bothell.

County staff members will answer questions and provide tent-city background at the meeting.

Young Chang: 206-748-5815 or ychang@seattletimes.com

Copyright © 2004 The Seattle Times Company

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