Why Sims changed his mind on tent city

By Keith Ervin
Seattle Times staff reporter

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His turnabout — which he said preceded a threat by tent-city organizers to occupy county parkland with or without permission — resulted from a discussion with Jackie MacLean, county director of community and human services.

In December, Sims vetoed a Metropolitan King County Council budget proviso that would have required him to propose three possible tent-city sites. He said in his veto message he didn't feel it was a proper use for a county park and he didn't support the proposed camp's "nomadic" existence.

But after talking to MacLean, Sims said he realized, "I can be as philosophical as I want about the homeless, but the fact is we didn't have a sufficient supply of shelters to allow people to have a place to live safely. I made the decision at that point to put my philosophy aside and ... find a place."

After he made that decision, his staff began looking for appropriate county properties other than parks. "We were actually looking at the property list when they told us they were going to occupy a park," Sims said yesterday.

Meeting tonight King County Executive Ron Sims and Metropolitan King County Councilwoman Carolyn Edmonds will host a meeting on a planned tent city at 7 tonight at First Evangelical Lutheran Church, 10207 N.E. 183rd St., in Bothell.

Sims stirred up opposition when neighbors of the Brickyard Road Park & Ride near Bothell learned the site would become a temporary home for up to 100 homeless people for up to 90 days.

Campers will pitch tents Monday under an agreement Sims signed last week with Leo Rhodes, a board member of tent-city sponsor SHARE/WHEEL.

Sims described the evolution of his thinking during his first extensive discussion of the controversy with reporters.

He and County Councilwoman Carolyn Edmonds said yesterday they were disappointed that SHARE/WHEEL had declined invitations from two churches to camp on their land.

Edmonds, a Democrat whose council district includes the Brickyard site, met with SHARE/WHEEL representatives yesterday and asked them to move the tent city to one of the church sites. "They thanked me and said they remained committed to going to the Brickyard," she said.

As sponsor of a motion that would give County Council support to future tent-city locations, she said, "I told them that I was uncertain of the support I would have on that motion."

Sims said he, too, would prefer that the campsite move to a church.

"Would I like them to reconsider this? Yes. Do I understand why they won't? Yes," Sims said.

SHARE/WHEEL representatives have said they prefer a publicly owned site, where tent-city residents could stay in one place longer than a church is likely to offer hospitality. But the tent city could move to a church site when it leaves Brickyard Road after three months.

Sims has not ruled out county property as a future site for the roving encampment.

Sims and Edmonds will co-host a community meeting tonight at First Evangelical Lutheran Church in Bothell, one of two churches that has offered its property as a tent-city site.

Sims, a candidate for the Democratic nomination for governor, said he "probably made a mistake" when he left it up to SHARE/WHEEL to announce its plans to Brickyard neighbors.

Many angry residents and some County Council members have attacked Sims for failing to give the neighborhood more notice of the coming tent city.

SHARE/WHEEL agreed to delay it by 11 days, but a community group has sued the county in an attempt to block the tent city.

Sims said an established tent city in Seattle has faced opposition everywhere it has gone but has won the hearts of neighbors impressed by campers' good behavior.

After SHARE/WHEEL threatened last month to occupy a county park, Sims recalled, "I thought, 'Why do they always threaten? Why do they push so hard?' I just couldn't figure it out until after this: This is the battle they go through all the time."

Keith Ervin: 206-464-2105 or kervin@seattletimes.com

Copyright © 2004 The Seattle Times Company

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