Tent city moving to church in Bothell: Sims changes mind, cites liability

By Young Chang
Seattle Times Eastside bureau

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King County officials announced yesterday that a tent city scheduled to move to county-owned land near Bothell on Monday will instead move to a 2-acre site at St. Brendan Catholic Church in Bothell.

County Executive Ron Sims said the county and SHARE/WHEEL, sponsors of the planned tent city, reached the agreement after reconsidering potential liabilities of moving the homeless community onto fields next to the Brickyard Road Park & Ride on unincorporated land off Interstate 405. The land is considered transit property and should be left for transit-oriented development, including low-income housing, according to the county.

Sims said he was aware of that fact all along but came to reconsider it earlier this week because of the potential legal issues.

"I always think of worst-case scenarios. I think about what I would do if I were my enemy," he said.

The unexpected agreement between the county and SHARE/WHEEL marks the end of a contentious couple of weeks, during which a tent-city opposition group refused to back down on the charge that the county did not give adequate notice of the plans. The group sued the county and asked for a temporary restraining order against the move.

County Councilwoman Carolyn Edmonds, in response to accusations the county hadn't followed the appropriate process, announced plans to start a citizens advisory commission on homeless encampments.

In the past two weeks, area churches offering to host the tent city were turned down by SHARE/WHEEL officials, who said the group would rather move to county-owned land.

Deanna Davis, a member of SHARE/WHEEL, said the group is disappointed in the decision to move to St. Brendan because the perception is that she and others gave in to the "fear and anger of the neighbors."

"But it's still a step forward for us," she said.

Yesterday's announcement also spurred attorneys for the Brickyard Area Community for Fair Process, the tent-city opposition group that asked Thursday for the temporary restraining order, to withdraw the request.
 
But at a news conference called by Sims and Edmonds, Sims said the county's decision had nothing to do with the efforts of tent-city opponents and everything to do with his desire to guarantee Tent City 4 a home on Monday.

LeSan Riedmann, a leader of the Brickyard group, said she finds that "hard to believe."

"We're very happy because we were able to have an effect. We were heard," she said.

Sims first announced more than two weeks ago that Tent City 4 would move onto the Brickyard site, causing outraged residents to protest the lack of notice.

The new agreement between the county and SHARE/WHEEL states that the county will work with tent-city sponsors to find a suitable future site on county property. Possible sites could include the Brickyard property, according to the agreement.

Tent City 4 can stay at St. Brendan for 90 days.

Julie Spencer, a St. Brendan parishioner and mother of two girls enrolled at the church's school, supports the decision of her pastor, the Rev. Lawrence Minder.

"He went to the group, he educated us as a church to what sort of community they are, and I'm good with that," Spencer said last night. "It's a matter of helping people in need."

Denver McKelheer, who bought his Bothell home last November, said he's surprised by the decision.

"It's a little scary having 100 homeless people in your back yard," said McKelheer, who lives about 100 yards from the church. "I want to feel safe in my back yard."

Bothell Deputy Mayor Mike Johnson said the city had very little time to react to the decision.

"We had no involvement in the selection, the site. I think the County Council, specifically our reps Carolyn Edmonds and Ron Sims, have failed the citizens of Bothell."

Saying Bothell is a caring community, he added that the issue is not about homelessness but about fair public process.

Johnson said the City Council will hold a special meeting at 5 p.m. today at Ricketts Auditorium, 18315 Bothell Way, in Bothell.

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