Should HPAC Support Camp Second Chance Permit Extension?

Highland Park Action Committee (HPAC) has been requested to support the permit extension by two community groups, Martin Westerman, Director of Seattle Green Spaces Coalition (SGSC) and CSC Community Advisory Committee. We have also received emails from neighbors about issues with encampments and RVs  in the neighborhood not being addressed.

Please take our short anonymous survey by Feb. 14, 2019 so HPAC executive committee can understand the wishes of the neighborhood in responding to this request.

Missed our listening session last week?
West Seattle Blog has video of our community listening session from last week here https://westseattleblog.com/2019/01/would-extending-encampments-stay-be-a-broken-promise-or-unique-opportunity-heres-how-highland-park-action-committees-listening-session-went/

Link to Survey: https://goo.gl/forms/jDaNye879dKO4FDC3

Background:
“Camp Second Chance is one of six encampments authorized and funded by the City of Seattle’s Human Services Department as part of the City’s emergency response to homelessness.” Founded on April, 9th 2016 – officially permitted on March 2017 by the City of Seattle. The Human Services Department extended the permit on June 7, 2018 for the Myers Way/Camp Second Chance to remain at 9701 Myers Way South for an additional 12 months, until March 2019. There is a request for a continued permit.

The Seattle Municipal Code (SMC) Section 23.42.056, Subsection E.1 states that a transitional encampment may only be permitted for 12 months at a site, with only one allowed extension for an additional 12 months. Further, SMC 23.42.056, Subsection E.2 states that a time period of 12 months must elapse after the end of the period in which a transitional encampment was sited at any property before another encampment can be permitted at that site. 

On June 7, 2018, the Seattle Human Services Department announced that the permit for siting of Camp Second Chance at the Myers Way Parcels had been extended for 12 months until March 2019 (part of that extension was applied retroactively at the time of this announcement): https://homelessness.seattle.gov/hsd-recommends-extending-permit-for-camp-second-chance-on-myers-way/

Next HPAC Meeting is February 27, 2019

Annual Meeting
Election for HPAC executive committee positions 

Please see our By-laws at https://hpacinfo.files.wordpress.com/2018/04/hpac-2018-by-laws.pdf
To nominate yourself and/or another HPAC member – please provide either via email to hpacchair@gmail.com or verbally in person at our Jan or at our annual meeting on Feb 27, 2019:

Following info: Name, position sought, email, phone, address, and up to a 75 word response to the following:

• How much time a month can you commit to meetings and serving the mission of HPAC? 
• What lived/professional skills, experiences, and resources would you bring to the position sought?
• What do you like about the Highland Park community?
• What could be one improved in Highland Park?

Positions Up for Election Include:

1. Chairperson(s) – The duties include preside at all HPAC meetings and Executive Committee meetings, prepare agendas, report on the actions of the Executive Committee, maintain momentum of programs initiated by the HPAC. (10 -15 hours per month)
2. Assistant/Vice Chairperson(s) – The duties include to serve in the absence of the Chairperson, to develop and encourage broader membership participation, and to plan and organize special projects and functions. Serve as liaison to Delridge District Council/Southwest District Council and other Councils as needed. (10 -15 hours per month)
3. Secretary – The duties include notify the membership of the next meeting date, time, take the minutes of the HPAC meetings, with a summary of actions taken and assignments made ready to be presented at each subsequent meeting. (5 -10 hours per month)
4. Treasurer – The duties include receive and disburse funds as instructed by the Executive Committee and the HPAC, works with our fiscal sponsor in record keeping, and reports on the financial position of the HPAC at each meeting. (5-10 hours per month)

All HPAC meetings are held at the Highland Park Improvement Club, 1116 SW Holden, Seattle, WA 98106 on the 4th Wednesday of the month  (from Jan – June & Sept – October) Doors open at 6:30 – Meeting from 7:00 – 8:30 pm

Neighborhood Street Fund Program 2019

HPAC is recommending the following projects for prioritization:

• Duwamish Longhouse Pedestrian Safety & Accessibility Project
• New Pedestrian Route between South Park and North Delridge/White Center
• Highland Parkway Roundabout
• Holden Street Improvements between 16th and Delridge
• Total replacement of sidewalks along 8th avenue sw btwn. Henderson and Roxbury.

Community Prioritization phase of Neighborhood Street Fund 2019-2021 cycle is now open! 

Tell us what street improvements your community needs most by scoring projects proposed by neighbors in your district now through February 22. The highest-scored projects will proceed to the Voting phase in Spring.

How to score:
Online: prioritize projects and participate in an online dialogue with your neighbors without leaving your home!
http://www.seattle.gov/transportation/projects-and-programs/programs/neighborhood-street-fund/projects-map

In-person: attend a 90-minute Community Prioritization Meeting in your district. Meetings will include presentations by SDOT staff of each project proposed in your district. (Please note that presentations will begin promptly at the meeting start, so arrive on time! To request interpretation and or another accommodation, please contact us at: nsf@seattle.gov or (206) 733-9361before the meeting date.

3 Tips for scoring:
Plan ahead: if you will be joining a community meeting, plan accordingly to arrive no later than the meeting start time. 
Do your research: in-depth project proposals are available on our website. Get to know the projects proposed in your district prior to attending a meeting or scoring online. 
Share: invite friends, family, and neighbors to participate, even if they reside in a different district.

Ready to score?
Visit our website to score online or check the meeting schedule! http://www.seattle.gov/transportation/projects-and-programs/programs/neighborhood-street-fund/projects-map

Thank you for your continued interest in the NSF Program. We look forward to your participation!
Neighborhood Street Fund Program
http://www.seattle.gov/NSF 
If you need this information translated, please call 206-733-9361
Call: 206-733-9361.
Si usted necesita esta información traducida en español, por favor llame al 206-733-9361.
如果您需要把下列資訊翻譯成中文，請致電 206-733-9361.

Join Us for the Next HPAC Mtg Weds. 1/23/2019

Where: All HPAC meetings are held at the Highland Park Improvement Club, 1116 SW Holden, Seattle, WA 98106 on the 4th Wednesday of the month (from Jan – June & Sept – October)

Agenda as follows:

7:00p Welcome from HPAC Acting Chair Gunner Scott
7:05p Community Announcements

• HPIC
• Other

7:10p HPAC Executive Committee Updates

• Elections Coming in Feb.

7:15p Camp Second Chance Request for Re-Authorization / Permit Extension Conversation

This will be a facilitated structured conversation to understand the wishes of neighbors, stakeholders, community groups, and businesses in order to inform HPAC’s response to the permit extension.

Process:

7:15p – Conversation Guidelines Presented

7:20 – 7:40p: There will be 3-4 community groups representatives presenting 5 min statements for and against the permit extension.

7:40 – 8:15p – Neighbor Attendees will be given 1-2 minutes each to present comments for consideration.

8:15p – Closing and next steps.

HPAC has been requested to support the permit extension by two community groups. We have also received emails about issues with encampments and RVs  in the neighborhood not being addressed.

“Camp Second Chance is one of six encampments authorized and funded by the City of Seattle’s Human Services Department as part of the City’s emergency response to homelessness.” Founded on April, 9th 2016 – officially permitted on March 2017 by the City of Seattle. The Human Services Department extended the permit on June 7, 2018 for the Myers Way/Camp Second Chance to remain at 9701 Myers Way South for an additional 12 months, until March 2019. There is a request for a continued permit.

After the meeting a survey will be sent out via our e-list (get your neighbors to sign up!) to also assess the neighborhood’s desire on how HPAC should proceed.

8:30p Adjourn Meeting

Nominations for all HPAC executive committee positions is now open

Please see our By-laws at https://hpacinfo.files.wordpress.com/2018/04/hpac-2018-by-laws.pdf
To nominate yourself and/or another HPAC member – please provide either via email to hpacchair@gmail.com or verbally in person at our Jan or at our annual meeting on Feb 27, 2019:

Following info: Name, position sought, email, phone, address, and up to a 75 word response to the following:

• How much time a month can you commit to meetings and serving the mission of HPAC? 
• What lived/professional skills, experiences, and resources would you bring to the position sought?
• What do you like about the Highland Park community?
• What could be one improved in Highland Park?

Positions Up for Election Include:

1. Chairperson(s) – The duties include preside at all HPAC meetings and Executive Committee meetings, prepare agendas, report on the actions of the Executive Committee, maintain momentum of programs initiated by the HPAC. (10 -15 hours per month)
2. Assistant/Vice Chairperson(s) – The duties include to serve in the absence of the Chairperson, to develop and encourage broader membership participation, and to plan and organize special projects and functions. Serve as liaison to Delridge District Council/Southwest District Council and other Councils as needed. (10 -15 hours per month)
3. Secretary – The duties include notify the membership of the next meeting date, time, take the minutes of the HPAC meetings, with a summary of actions taken and assignments made ready to be presented at each subsequent meeting. (5 -10 hours per month)
4. Treasurer – The duties include receive and disburse funds as instructed by the Executive Committee and the HPAC, works with our fiscal sponsor in record keeping, and reports on the financial position of the HPAC at each meeting. (5-10 hours per month)

Reminder:  Closure of the Alaskan Way Viaduct

Commute Seattle
Phone: 206-613-3206
E-mail: SR99@commuteseattle.com
Website: www.commuteseattle.com/sr99/

Timeline

January 4, 2019 | SR 99 Stadium Ramps Close: Northbound SR 99 on-ramp from Royal Brougham Way and Southbound SR 99 off-ramp to S Atlantic Street close about one week before the full closure to allow for work on connections to the new SR 99 tunnel.

January 11, 2019 | Alaskan Way Viaduct Closes: WSDOT will close SR 99 through downtown Seattle for approximately three weeks to build roadway and ramp connections, realign SR 99 and open the new SR 99 tunnel.

Early February 2019 | SR 99 Tunnel Opens: The new 2-mile stretch of SR 99 tunnel opens to traffic. After the tunnel opens the northbound off-ramp to downtown will remain closed for up to two weeks.

Early 2019 – 2020 | Alaskan Way Viaduct Removal and Related Projects: After the tunnel opens, AWV demolition begins by the waterfront, the Battery Street Tunnel will be decommissioned, and surface streets around Aurora Ave N will be reconnected.

March 2019 | Bus Service Ends in the Light Rail Tunnel: King County Metro bus routes 41, 74, 101, 102, 150, 255 and Sound Transit Express Route 550 buses will no longer use the transit tunnel and will operate on surface streets, including a new transit pathway on 5^th and 6^th Avenues. 

2019 – 2021 | Waterfront Construction: Built by the City of Seattle’s Office of the Waterfront, the new Alaskan Way street will be transformed along the waterfront with a new promenade and connections to the Pike Place Market. 

2019 | SR 99 Tunnel Tolling: The SR 99 tunnel will be free to use when it opens for a period before tolling starts.  Tolling could begin as early as summer 2019.

Under construction thru 2022 | WA State Convention Center (WSCC) Addition: WSCC has launched a transformative project that will provide economic and public benefits, including affordable housing, cycling, and pedestrian improvements, and a study of lidding more of I-5 – as part of its $92 million expansion. Construction is expected to be complete in Q3 2021, with the addition open to the public in Q1 2022.

Under construction thru December 2020 | Seattle Center Arena: Oak View Group (OVG) has partnered with the City of Seattle to redevelop the Arena at Seattle Center. The newly renovated Arena will be a vital asset for the residents of our region and visitors from around the world for existing and future professional sports teams, other sporting events, concerts, and shows. 

Under construction thru 2021 | Rainer Tower 2 Construction: At the corner of 5th Ave and Union St, Rainier Tower 2 is a new building being built in Rainier Square and will become an iconic new skyscraper on Seattle’s horizon. It will house new space for offices, retail stores, a hotel, residential units, and parking.

NOVEMBER 28 SPECIAL MEETING WITH SDOT

MEETING WITH SDOT

Wednesday, November 28, 2018

6:30 – 7:30 PM PST

Highland Park Improvement Club (1116 SW Holden St, Seattle, 98106)

 

Friends,

In October, the Seattle Department of Transportation informed the Highland Park Action Committee of proposed small changes to the intersection of Highland Park Way SW and SW Holden St to promote safety while we continue to wait for the installation of a roundabout.

Upon further consideration, neighbors determined that some of these small changes would not be beneficial, effectively cutting off access to their homes. In response, SDOT has removed the elements of concern and plans to move forward with the improvements.

Because neither HPAC nor neighbors were consulted in the original development of these plans, SDOT has offered to meet with the community to discuss the changes and listen to neighborhood concerns. This will not be a regular meeting of the Highland Park Action Committee, and will be presided over by HPAC’s Vice-Chair, Mr. Gunner Scott.

We hope you will be able to attend, but otherwise look forward to your participation at our next full HPAC meeting in January.

In the interim, I wish all the best for you and yours this holiday season.

Sincerely,

Charlie Omana
Chair, Highland Park Action Committee
hpacchair@gmail.com

HPAC 2018 OCTOBER MEETING

Join us for our LAST meeting of 2018 on Weds. October 24, 2018 at 7:00 PM

All HPAC meetings are held at the Highland Park Improvement Club, 1116 SW Holden St. Seattle, WA 98106 on the 4th Wednesday of the month (from Jan – June & Sept – October) Doors open at 6:30 – Meeting from 7:00 – 8:30 pm

Agenda as follows:

7:00p Welcome from HPAC Chair Charlie Omana

7:05p Community Announcements

• HPIC
• Other

7:10p HPAC Executive Committee Updates

7:15p Setting the Agenda for 2019

• Elections?
• Next steps on Roundabout Funding
• Potential “Your Voice, Your Choice” projects
• Outreach and Engagement
• Community Focus Areas
• Environment/Pollution
• New Orders of Business

8:30p Adjourn Meeting

HPAC Meeting Minutes – June 27, 2018

(Draft for Approval)

The meeting was called to order by HPAC Chair Charlie Omana at 7:00pm.  Executive members present: Vice-Chair Gunner Scott, Secretary James Tucker, and Treasurer Michelle Glassley.

Community discussion with SPD SW Precinct Lieutenants Steve Strand and Ron Smith and Robert Stowers from Seattle Parks and Recreation

Ron Smith, who is retiring after 38 years serving the community, was honored with a cake.  Ron reflected on his years at the Seattle Police Department (SPD).  Lieutenant Steve Strand will be replacing Ron at his post in the Southwest Precinct.  Steve is very familiar with the community.

The meeting attendees discussed the issue of recreational vehicles (RVs) parked on residential streets and parks was discussed with the officers.  Lieutenant Strand talked about the draft protocol for RVs which includes an offer of human services and shelters.  It was noted at vehicles over 80 inches in width were not permitted to park in residential areas from the hours of midnight to 6am.  After services are offered, SPD can put a 24 hour sticker on the vehicle, and it can be impounded after that period has expired.  A problem that Lieutenant Strand brought up is that many times the RVs are in such poor condition that they are auctioned off for less than the impound fees, often being repurchased by the owners.  It was suggested that the City’s legislative and executive branches need to better address the issue so that the police can effectively enforce.  Treating the RV issue as a parking issue and not a homeless issue would make enforcing much easier for officers.  The officers noted that there is a proposal for navigation teams specifically for RVs.

HPAC Chair Omana asked Seattle Parks and Recreation head Robert Stowers about what happens when an RV is on Parks property outside of park hours.  Mr. Stowers said that Parks is a part of the navigation teams, and the political environment is difficult since it’s see as a homeless issue.  Advocate groups have applied a lot of pressure on city government to address the homeless issue.  Mr. Stowers informed the attendees that Parks is starting to put up gates at park entrances now to discourage parking by RVs.

Concerns were raised about Riverview Park and the RVs parked there and associated illegal activities there.  It was noted that any time there is sanitary or environmental risk it adds more ability for the City to do something about the RV.  Also, SPD must be careful when impounding an RV in order to not have it turn into a lawsuit which might affect the future ability to impound.

HPAC Chair Omana raised the issue of the Meyers Way parcels and when they might be transferred to Parks department as originally planned.  Mr. Stowers said that after Camp Second Chance stops getting a renewal then the parcels will be transferred to the Parks department.  Parks budgets are a 6 year plan, and the next round of budgeting will be in the Spring of 2019 for the 2020-2026 budget.  If the parcels are released by Spring 2019, then they could be included in planning.  Nothing has been designed for the parcels as of yet.

HPAC Chair Omana brought up the issue of the landslide on Highland Park Way.  Omana had contacted SDOT about landslide mitigation efforts, but SDOT said that it was not a high priority at that site right now.  Mr. Stowers said to follow up with him and he’ll have an urban forest person come and take a look at the area.

The next issue discussed was a recent series of break-ins in Highland Park.  Lieutenant Smith said that there were four different break-ins, possibly committed by one individual.  One person of interest has been identified.  Emphasis patrols have been started in the area.  The use of window locks or simple wooden dowels to keep windows closed was advised.

Community Announcements

Highland Park Improvement Club

Corner Bar returns 7/6 folowed by Art Lounge.  The HPIC yard sale will be on September 8^th.

Your Voice Your Choice

Voting on Your Voice Your Choice is open until July 16^th.

Delridge Triangle

An application to the Neighborhood Matching Grant program has been submitted for Phase 1 design work.  See http://delridgetriangle.org for more information.

National Night Out

National Night Out is on August 7^th.

West Duwamish Trails Association

The West Duwamish Trails Association has a couple of guided hikes planned on 7/7 and 8/4 for the Duwamish areas.

West Seattle Chamber of Commerce

The Chamber is hosting a forum for candidates in the upcoming area elections on 7/19.

Approval of Minutes

The HPAC meeting minutes for the meeting on May 23, 2018 were approved with a small change from “northbound” to “southbound” in regards to the left-turn lane project at Holden and 16^th Ave SW.

HPAC Executive Committee Updates

Meyers Way Camp Second Chance

A joint letter was sent by Highland Park Action Committee and the North Highline Unincorporated Area Council lamenting the renewal of the Camp Second Chance (C2C) permit.  An excerpt from the letter was read,

“The neighborhoods of Highland Park and the various neighborhoods comprising the unincorporated urban area of North Highline are extremely disappointed to hear that the City of Seattle has extended the permit for Camp Second Chance for an additional 12 months at the Myers Way Parcels (Fiscal and Administrative Services PMA #4539-4542). With this extension, the camp will have effectively been present at the current site for 2 years and 8 months, easily exceeding the allowed 2 year stay duration for encampments as outlined in Seattle Municipal Code Section 23.42.056, subsection E.1.

Over the past decade, Highland Park has hosted three encampments and served as a staging area for a proposed safe lot for individuals residing in recreational vehicles. This burden has impacted not only our neighborhood, but the neighborhoods immediately south of us along the city limit. No other neighborhood in Seattle has willingly or unwillingly taken on as much and to the same extent!”

Walk through with Mayor’s office representative

HPAC representatives and community members are invited to meet the morning of 7/13 at HPIC to walk a member of the Mayor’s office to the future Highland Park Way roundabout site.  This should help emphasize the problems of the HP Way/SW Holden intersection.  HPAC Chair Omana filmed a brief interview about the roundabout with KOMO News recently to raise awareness.

Mayor’s Visit to Highland Park

HPAC Chair Charlie Omana has been in touch with Chris Faulkner at SDOT and he said that SDOT had been developing a plan for a left turn lane for northbound 16th Ave SW at SW Holden St.  However there is no project to implement any design on the books.  HPAC needs to get a definitive answer.  Charlie Omana will reach out to other city contacts and Lisa Herbold for more information.

West Seattle Blog

Chair Charlie Omana said that the West Seattle Blog provides great service to West Seattle residents, and suggested it might be nice to pay them back.  If you have any ideas please send them to hpacchair@gmail.com.

Strategic Planning for HPAC

HPAC has been working to better Highland Park for at least 30 years, and we need to work on strategic planning for the future.  With goals like getting more people involved in HPAC and ensuring continuity between executive boards from year to year. This is something we’ll be addressing over coming months.

The meeting adjourned at 8:30pm.
Submitted 9/18/2018 by HPAC Secretary James Tucker.
There will not be meetings in July or August.
The next HPAC meeting will be Wednesday, September 26th, 2018.

An Update on the Highland Park Way/SW Holden Intersection

Neighbors,

This afternoon I received word from the Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT) that in the coming weeks there will be improvements to the intersection of SW Holden Street and Highland Park Way SW to promote safety and predictability. Residents near the intersection can expect to receive letters in the proceeding days, but the communication can also be found here.

Indeed, this is a positive development that should encourage safer access for commuters!

I have been assured, however, that this work does not preclude the development of a roundabout for which our community has been advocating for the previous 6 years. The Seattle Department of Transportation has applied for a City Safety Program grant with the Washington Department of Transportation and will expect to receive word of whether this project has been funded by January.

In the meantime, we must continue to press for commitments to this project so that our neighborhood can be safer. To that end, I encourage you to express support to the Seattle City council for District 1 Representative Lisa Herbold’s proposal to add the Highland Park Way Roundabout project to the Seattle Department of Transportation Capital Improvement Program for the 2019-2024 period.

If you have time, you are highly encouraged to attend the Public Hearing on the Budget on Tuesday, October 23, 2018 at 5:30 PM. In order to comment, please line up before 5 PM so that you can add your name to the roster!

If you are unable to attend the public hearing, please consider emailing or calling the following council-members by October 23 to let them know that this project is greatly needed in our neighborhood:

Sally Bagshaw

Chair, Select Budget Committee

E: sally.bagshaw@seattle.gov

T: 206-684-8801

Teresa Mosqueda

E: Teresa.Mosqueda@seattle.gov

T: 206-684-8806

Lorena Gonzalez

E: Lorena.Gonzalez@seattle.gov

T: 206-684-8802

Mike O’Brien

Chair, Transportation Committee

E: Mike.OBrien@seattle.gov

T: 206-684-8800

While personalized messages are most helpful (and telephone calls are highly encouraged), we have provided the following template for convenience for you to copy and paste in your communication to the above council-members (please be sure to also copy council-member Lisa Herbold: Lisa.Herbold@seattle.gov):

Dear Councilmember ____,

I am writing in favor of Council-member Lisa Herbold’s proposed addition of the Highland Park Way/Southwest Holden Street Roundabout Project to the Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT) Proposed Capital Improvement Program (CIP) for 2019-2024 as part of this year’s budget process.

As a resident of West Seattle, I frequently use Highland Park Way to access the peninsula and can attest that the intersection at SW Holden Street is in dire need of significant improvements to increase safety for vehicles and pedestrians alike, as well as improve traffic flow.

Highland Park Way is one of only three access points to West Seattle. Our current infrastructure is not adequate to meet the demands of heavy usage due to increasing density. During daily commute hours, traffic on SW Holden St backs up significantly, sometimes 6 or more blocks deep, as commuters try to access Highland Park Way SW. Southwest Holden St. is the most direct route from several arterial roads in the area and forms a bottleneck on the way to Highland Park Way.

Further, the design of the current intersection does not provide a safe route for pedestrian crossing. Pedestrians are often crossing 3 lanes of traffic just to access the King County Metro bus stop. Young children must navigate treacherous road conditions every morning to catch their bus to school.

The Highland Park Way/SW Holden Roundabout Project would go a long way to increase safety for pedestrians, bicyclists, and commuters while accommodating future growth, development, and density in the area.

Please favorably consider adding this project to the SDOT CIP for 2019-2024.

If you have any questions, please contact me at __________.

Sincerely,

________

We can also expect to continue our conversation with the office of Mayor Jenny Durkan come January.

I look forward to your continued advocacy for our neighborhood. Please let me know if you have questions or concerns about SDOT’s proposed work.

Sincerely,

Charlie Omana – Chair,  Highland Park Action Committe

Follow-up Letter to Mayor Durkan

Dear members,

The following letter was submitted to Seattle Mayor Jenny Durkan on September 10, 2018 in preparation for her visit to Highland Park for the September 26 meeting of the Highland Park Action Committee:

September 10, 2018

Mayor Jenny A. Durkan
City of Seattle
600 4th Ave, 7th Floor
Seattle, WA 98104

Dear Mayor Durkan:

The residents of Highland Park and adjacent communities eagerly look forward to your visit for the September 26 meeting of the Highland Park Action Committee (HPAC). All summer I have heard from neighbors expressing excitement and marking their calendars; the optimism is certainly palpable.

In addition to the letter sent by HPAC on July 17, 2018 requesting assistance in closing the funding gap for the Highland Park Way and SW Holden Street Roundabout Project, there is more work to be done to reach equity in infrastructure and resources for our neighborhood.

I am reaching out today to broach the additional issues of neighborhood safety and community development in Highland Park which we wish to have addressed along with the Highland Park Way and SW Holden St. Project. For ease, I will divide this letter into three parts: (i) Crime and Safety, (ii) Homeless Encampments, and (iii) Community Development.

(i) Crime and Safety

The results of the 2017 Seattle Public Safety Survey show that Highland Park has among the highest fears of crime in the Southwest Precinct. Limited Seattle Police Department (SPD) capacity, car prowls, and shots fired rate as the highest public safety concerns for our neighborhood listed in the survey. Additionally, HPAC has also heard neighbors’ concerns about break-ins and burglaries, drug activity, illegal trespassing and squatting, abandoned houses, illegal dumping (especially in our industrial areas to the east), vehicle theft, and pedestrian safety.

Undoubtedly, perceptions of crime in Highland Park are situational. Our neighborhood borders South Delridge to the west, which experienced a 56% increase in crime rates when comparing the three-year periods of 2008-2010 and 2015-2017 and has the 6th highest crime rate in the city, according to the Seattle Times. Additionally, Highland Park is bounded by unincorporated King County to the south and Washington State-owned land (WsDOT) to the east. This geographic location presents a jurisdictional challenge for law enforcement.

While a Mutual Aid Agreement exists between the law enforcement agencies of King County, the University of Washington, and the cities of King County (including Seattle), it is unclear whether this agreement is designed to address the nature of the crimes experienced in our neighborhood. For example, would the spate of property crimes that have afflicted neighborhoods north of Southwest Roxbury Street in recent months be sufficient for SPD to request aid and establish incident command if suspects are discovered to originate primarily in unincorporated King County or Burien? Or is such a process limited to only the most serious, but ultimately rare, crimes and emergencies? What happens if the request for aid is not granted, and how does SPD determine which crimes warrant additional resources beyond its agency?

Certainly, the Public Safety Survey shows that limited police capacity is the biggest safety concern in the entire city! The Southwest Precinct Patrol Budget Control Level is the lowest in the city, at 124 full-time equivalents for 2018. While officers can be moved around to respond to particular needs, a shuffling of existing resources will not hide the fact that Seattle has a low per capita rate of officers for a city of its size and prominence. For being the premier city of the Northwest, it is not encouraging that Seattle has the same per capita rate as Mobile, Alabama or Seguin, Texas.

(ii) Homeless Encampments

The 2017 Public Safety Survey results also show that homelessness as a public safety and public health issue was the most prominent theme in the narrative comments for Highland Park.

Highland Park has, over the past 10 years, hosted three encampments (Nickelsville on two occasions and Camp Second Chance since 2016) and served as a staging area for a proposed safe lot for individuals residing in recreational vehicles. Additionally, the presence of RVs along Myers Way Southwest and the surrounding neighborhood has not been adequately addressed and acts as a magnet for derelict vehicles of all kinds.

This burden has negatively impacted our neighborhood and those immediately south of us along the city limit. In Highland Park, for example, we have a homeless neighbor who has been unhoused for over 2 years who has accumulated a camper, two mini vans, and a truck parked all across the neighborhood. She has a tendency to feed animals, attracting rats and raccoons, posing a public health concern. In the Riverview neighborhood immediately to our north, neighbors have complained of an accumulation of RVs that illegally dump their waste into the street and local park. Even Camp Second Chance, one of the city’s many sanctioned encampments, is among the very few that correlate with a measurable increase in crime for the surrounding neighborhood, according to an independent analysis by the Guardian newspaper.

The neighborhoods of Highland Park and the various neighborhoods comprising the unincorporated urban area of North Highline were disappointed to learn earlier this spring that the City of Seattle extended the permit for Camp Second Chance for an additional 12 months at the Myers Way Parcels (Fiscal and Administrative Services PMA #4539-4542). The community pressed hard for these parcels to be retained by the city so that they could be repurposed into green space. With this extension, the camp will have been established at the site for 2 years and 8 months, easily exceeding the allowed 2 year stay duration for encampments as outlined in Seattle Municipal Code Section 23.42.056, subsection E.1.

Residents of our neighborhoods are compassionate and wish to address the homelessness crisis with empathy. We bear no ill will towards the residents of Camp Second Chance or our unhoused neighbors. Nevertheless, we do feel it is unfair that the city continues to impose its responses to the homelessness crisis onto communities who have little to no power to challenge them.

HPAC has communicated, on record, the neighborhood’s concerns about homeless encampments to the city’s Human Services Department on multiple occasions. Yet, despite finally receiving a reply from the department’s former director, Catherine Lester, on April 18, we do not feel that our concerns have been satisfactorily addressed. In as much as the City claims to promote equity, we ask that neighborhoods like ours not continue to be overwhelmed with the responsibility of shouldering the City’s homelessness policies while more privileged neighborhoods remain largely unscathed.

(iii) Community Development

Let me be clear that the narrative here is not one of privileged NIMBYs fighting against progress, but rather one of long-ignored communities that are struggling to get an equitable share of the investments that seem to be lavished upon communities in North Seattle, or the Duwamish Peninsula west of 35th Ave SW.

Highland Park suffers from a historical lack of investment that has held the neighborhood back in numerous ways. A traditionally working-class area that provided affordable housing for workers in the industrial Duwamish Valley below, boom and bust cycles over the last century have acutely restricted the area’s growth and prosperity, leading to the neighborhood being redlined in the 1930s. Even today, with the exception of South Park, Highland Park remains one of the most (if not the most) affordable neighborhoods on the Duwamish peninsula.

Again, data from the American Community Survey (5-year Series, 2009-2013) show that Highland Park (Census Tract 113) has a lower median income ($53,182) than Seattle as a whole ($65,277). Additionally, Highland Park has a higher proportion of residents who identify as a race or ethnicity other than White (49.8% versus Seattle’s 29.4%).

In Census Tract 265, which overlays the southeastern-most portion of Highland Park in the City of Seattle and a portion of White Center (part of the North Highline unincorporated urban area), the proportion of residents who identify as a race or ethnicity other than White increases to 60.1%, while the Median Household Income drops to $35,857.

Even with the recent favorable real estate market, homes in greater Delridge still sell for well below the average price per square foot of other neighborhoods. The City’s own analysis recognizes that residents of the Westwood-Highland Park urban village face a higher risk of displacement with low access to opportunity.

Compare a leisurely drive along California Ave SW in West Seattle versus one along Delridge Way SW in Delridge, and the differences in access, opportunities and investment become as clear as night and day. Lack of investment is especially apparent in the neighborhoods bounded by SW Holden to the north and SW Roxbury to the south, where a high concentration of vacant properties attracts squatters and contributes to neighborhood blight.

Zoning, too, works against our neighborhood. As much of Highland Park is zoned for single-family use, the very few legacy commercial zones within our neighborhood are inadequate to serve the needs of the community. We have already lost an opportunity for potential small business startups recently when a developer built townhouses on one corner zoned Low Rise 2 Residential Commercial, but no ground floor commercial space. Additionally, infrequent transit service and inconvenient routing make it difficult for many neighbors without a vehicle to access essential services or grocery options.

Highland Park has long been in need of the kinds of improvements and investments that have spurred economic development and social opportunities in wealthier neighborhoods. It would be helpful if the City could work with us to develop a framework for promoting positive development, since the current Delridge Action Plan does not cover the southerly neighborhoods of greater Delridge.

We have been encouraged by the implementation of the Duwamish Valley Action Plan and Equitable Development Initiative, which highlight the City of Seattle’s commitment to promoting equity in the city’s historically underserved communities.

Mayor Durkan, the Highland Park Action Committee cannot thank you enough for accepting our invitation to visit the neighborhood of Highland Park. Your visit signals to our community that your administration is dedicated to promoting the well-being of all neighborhoods in the city, regardless of income or demographic composition.

Sincerely,

Charlie Omana
Chair, Highland Park Action Committee
(206) 880-1506
hpacchair@gmail.com

CC: Kyla Blair, Director of External Relations and Outreach
Amanda Hohlfeld, Office of the Mayor
Carmen Best, Chief of Police
Jason Johnson, Interim Director, Department of Human Services
Andrés Mantilla, Interim Director, Department of Neighborhoods
Samuel Assefa, Director, Office of Planning and Community Development
Council Member Lisa Herbold, Chair: Civil Rights, Utilities, Economic    Development and Arts
Council Member Kshama Sawant, Chair: Human Services, Equitable Development, and Renter Rights