Everett mansion won't house sex offenders

A historic mansion in Everett's Riverside neighborhood won't be turned into a rooming house for sex offenders — at least for now.

The City of Everett announced Thursday it had reached an agreement with an attorney for Mike Westford, a real-estate investor who rents rooms in properties around the city to sex offenders.

Westford agreed to place no more than eight recovering drug addicts or alcoholics in the McManus mansion and to not rent to registered sex offenders.

"If he tries to use the house for something not allowed in a residential neighborhood, the city can intervene," Everett spokeswoman Kate Reardon said. But she added that Westford's long-term plans for the property remain "uncertain."

A Westford associate purchased the neglected McManus mansion in June and moved in a Level 3 sex offender, raising fears in the neighborhood that the three-story, 16-room home house would be filled with sex offenders.

Westford, together with family members and a business partner, Alex Thole, own 11 houses or apartments in one block of the Bayside neighborhood near downtown where they rent rooms to 48 registered sex offenders.

In all, Westford rents to about 200 sex offenders in 24 houses between Everett and Bellingham, according to property records.

Westford said Thursday, "right now, no sex offenders." But he said his plans depend on the response of neighbors and the city to his tenants. "I can do it tomorrow [rent to sex offenders] if I'd like to."

The City of Everett has said it has few options to limit the number and placement of sex offenders. State law prohibits cities from restricting where sex offenders live and federal law prohibits discrimination against recovering drug addicts and alcoholics, who are considered disabled under the Fair Housing Act. Attorneys say sex offenders who are also recovering addicts may be protected.

The Everett City Attorney's office had said Westford could rent to eight disabled adults in a residential neighborhood without a special permit or zoning variance.

Riverside neighbor Dan Wills said he's pleased there won't be sex offenders in the mansion but urged the city to prevent concentrations of sex offenders in residential neighborhoods.

"For the moment, I feel a sense of relief," he said.

Lynn Thompson: 206-464-8305 or lthompson@seattletimes.com