Submitted by Bruce Dammeier, Executive.
Apologies to Sally Field and her infamous Academy Award speech but it feels awesome when outside people or organizations recognize your work.
This week’s decision by the Hearing Examiner to approve the Conditional Use Permit and deny the appeal of our SEPA (State Environmental Protection Act) mitigated determination means the Tacoma Rescue Mission’s (TRM) Good Neighbor Village for chronically homeless individuals can move forward!
The Hearing Examiner wrote a very thorough and thoughtful decision after hearing seven days of testimony from the applicant, the appellant, our staff, and nearly 50 members of the public. His decision is 79 pages in length (excluding more than 350 exhibits), and is exhaustive in detail and description. It includes 33 conditions, but gives TRM a very clear path ahead with construction starting later this summer.
This validation is a key to the County’s next payments under our partnership agreement with TRM and jump starts their private fundraising efforts. Most importantly, it means hope for a better life is on the horizon for many people trapped in chronic homelessness.
Getting to this critically important step to create the Village was years in the making and required the expertise of many, many of our colleagues. When expressing thanks to a large group, you always run the risk of forgetting someone, but I am going to try anyway and ask for grace from anyone I miss.
Thank you to the people from my team, especially Steve O’Ban, Dan Grimm, Brian Hardtke and Alice McDaniel. They were instrumental in managing important aspects of the project. Their leadership, insight and perseverance were essential.
My thanks to the many technical experts in Planning & Public Works (PPW) who reviewed, evaluated, guided and testified regarding the Village. Jen Tetatzin, Rob Jenkins, Sean Gaffney, Dennis Dixon, Brandon Smith, Scott Sissons, Austin Jennings, and Sue Larson are especially deserving of appreciation and praise.
I appreciated our great representation during the hearing by the Prosecutor’s Office. Deputy Prosecuting Attorneys (DPA) Todd Campbell and David Owen provided fantastic support and counsel.
I’d also like to thank Sheriff Troyer and his team for their contributions about the security and safety plans for the Village. The Hearing Examiner called out Sheriff Troyer’s excellent testimony in this regard.
Sharing the importance of the Village with both supporters and critics has been a large task for the Communications team. Thank you to Libby Catalinich, Kyle Schmidtke, Erin Babbo, Kari Moore, Andriana Fletcher, Jenny Burger, Riley Egge and Taylor Angulo for the months of web and social media content, videos, presentations, community engagement meetings and media relations. As a reminder, here is the excellent video they made describing the Village.
And I wanted to extend a special note of appreciation to Michael Yoder of Associated Ministries and Michael Mirra, formerly of the Tacoma Housing Authority. These two tireless advocates for the “least fortunate among us” were key to explaining the critical need for the Village. They are a dynamic duo of strong community leadership!
I can’t wait to celebrate the groundbreaking later this summer!
Another tremendous validation came to us last Saturday night at the Northwest Regional Emmy Awards celebration. Defying the odds, we won our second Emmy award for the Inside Pierce County video series! The “repeat” win for PCTV and me was a surprise, but our talented video production team is truly exceptional. Their skill in creating, shooting, and editing our behind-the-scenes series stands up to any competition – and we have the hardware to prove it!
In case you missed them the first time we shared them, here are the 2023 Emmy award-winning Inside Pierce County videos:
Congratulations and thanks to Megan Hutton, David Kellman, Jeremy Acree, and Peter Gudmunson for telling the Pierce County story so well!
I hope you have plans to enjoy this much-needed sunny weekend!
Two years ago I advised the County Executive in and email with an attachment titled BUILDING HOPE – A GREAT IDEA BUT WRONG SITE.
Using his influence and control over Pierce County’s Planning & Public Works he got the Village project located in a Federal, State and County designated critical area Spanaway Marsh wetland and crushed citizen opposition to siting his asphalt paved heat sink Village in such an unsuitable location.
This village is much needed. I’m glad it was approved. Homeless people will be better off in that area than they would in Tacoma, with all the problems associated with street life in a city.
I hope the neighbors of the village will give it a chance. The village residents should prove to be good neighbors as they help care for what they have been given.
I keep wondering who is being served by isolating senior citizens, who have “chronically” been unable to provide for themselves, to a remote location in a swamp. Is it politicians who rather avoid the hard and unglamorous work of dealing with mental illness, addiction and/or life changing trauma? It can’t be those who still living/working in Tacoma with, “all the problems associated with street life in a city”. My reading the Bible tells me Jesus had no time for drunkenness and didn’t ignore treating the demons of metal illness. He expected his followers to work and directed charity to widows and orphans, not those expecting others to provide. What am I missing?
Better off in an area that has little infrastructure in the way of hospitals, mental health and addiction care, jobs or public transit? I don’t think so. But they will be out of sight, out of mind, so if that’s what you want, you got it.
Exactly!
Why should the neighbors give this a chance? It is being forced upon them. A beautiful, environmentally sensitive area is being destroyed. Thousands of trees cut down, wildlife affected (yes, they count too) and crime brought to the neighborhoods. By TRM’s own admission, on paydays (I use that term loosely – it is our tax dollars at work, as is the ‘rent’ they will pay – as stated in the documents, that will be HUD money) drug dealers and prostitutes are a problem. The current plan has one part time security guard for the approx 86 acre site. Not 24-hour security or 24-hour manned security gate. The taxpaying citizens living near this homeless village were totally disregarded. The Executive office, council and TRM were determined to make this happen despite better-suited sites. Wait until the round-about on Spanaway Loop Road construction begins!
Thank you, Janine, for your astute comment. Why should the neighbors give this a chance? The county never gave us a chance: they had this deal all tied up before they even told us about it. Aren’t we the ones who pay the taxes that pay the county executive? Aren’t we the ones who pay the taxes that pay the planners at PALS? But I hear they were threatened by the executive’s office that, if they didn’t support this village, they would lose their jobs. Isn’t that awful? Some of those planners suggested we designate the Spanaway Marsh Residential Resource low density twenty years ago when we wrote the PSM Communities Plan. I don’t believe for a minute they like this idea. Yet they towed the line as if their livelihood depended on it, didn’t they? Poor sods.
Drug users don’t make good neighbors, regardless of whose neighborhood their in. As long as it isn’t mine, right?
Thank you Pierce County for helping to destroy some of the last pristine wetlands in pierce county. Also a big thank you for not listening to citizens concerns and doing everything you can to crush the opposition to get your way. We will remember you at the ballot box Bruce.
Indeed, as well as his minions.
Agreed. This proves once again that money talks. I understand they have to go somewhere, but why a ( once) protected wetland? It will be completely destroyed.
Agree!
Yes, housing the homeless is a priority. However, not in a hydrolocically sensitive environment . Over 30 alternate sites were considered, with no explanation as to why they would not suitable. One has to wonder who “cooked” this plan? It smacks of a quote from a past president! Did this person stop to consider that the Spanaway Marsh supplies the majority of water to our rapidly dwindling watershed – a sole source aquifer that serves thousands in our community? Not likely. Will this person answer the phone when thousands of people cry out saying they don’t have water? Not likely. Will they take responsibility for safeguarding a vulnerable population housed in an environmentally sensitive area? Not likely. Will they take responsibility for destroying an entire ecosystem? Not likely. Who will suffer, when this short-sighted plan falls short? We will…..
We expect better from our elected officials an so do our homeless! Do your homework, make educated decisions before you mark that little box on your up and coming ballots. We can’t afford more “Botched” planning!
Well said Annie. I would add…it’s a wetland. There are rules for wetlands for property owners, right? Like, what are they going to do about mosquitos? I believe the rules are you cannot treat the water to keep control of mosquitos, so how are the residents of the Village supposed to survive that? Also, I wonder how many residents will be sufferers of PTSD, and how will they handle the munitions training (explosion noises) right next door?
Our homeless need homes, but not at the expense of damaging the water shed that affects so many.
Citizens don’t have a chance to stop distruction of threatened wetlands and wildlife when the County Exec controls and muzzles county sraff.
All the decision makers agreed building 200 plus houses, cutting hundreds of trees, and adding roads iwill have a non-significant impact on the class 1 wetland area. Right!!
Citizens need to deny contributions to the Tacoma Rescue Mission for this disasterous project.
THOUSANDS of trees!
I’m deeply saddened and concerned that another wetland will be destroyed in the name of progress. If not us , then who will protect our dwindling natural habitats. When they’re all gone, only then will we cry that it should have been protected and preserved. There are plenty of available sites closer to available transportation and resources For those that need them.
I am so disgusted the county executive decided to push homeless tiny homes housing into a protected wetland marsh just to suit his satisfaction they will be out of his sight. There were better sites pointed out to him many times by citizens. He doesn’t listen to the community or to his constituents. Big money prevails yet again.
I’m disappointed. As Kris Q. noted, unintentionally I suspect, this is primarily a Tacoma problem. I respect TRM’s desire to help the “homeless,” but – it’s a Tacoma problem, not Spanaway’s. So understandably people see this as a NIMBY solution.
I know of open space in Tacoma that could have been used for this, and thus closer to the services I suspect are really needed rather than a roof far away. I also note how housing in hotels and other little “tiny villages” in the Puget Sound region has worked. Sadly not so much because they don’t get to the real problem that the activists don’t want to address.
So, I’m with many of my fellow commentators in this:
1. I don’t want to hear anything from the environmentalist community ever again.
2. I also will be terminating my support to the Rescue Mission.
3. I will be voting – for new leadership.
I totally agree with all your points.
Well said. The environmentalist community was disappointingly silent on this issue, as was JBLM. This development is right on their property line. It has been a sad, eye-opening journey to see how little say we have about what happens in our own communities – that politicians’ pet projects trump the desires of those actually living in the areas affected. My support is also withdrawn.
It’s time to change our leadership in Pierce County. We have very corrupt executives who don’t care about us or our area. All they see is a feather in their bonnets and money in their pockets…..for now. But once it’s up and running and things start to go south, do you think they’ll acknowledge that they made a mistake, when it’s too late to turn back? Of course not!!! They’re ignoring the will of the people and don’t care about the environmental impacts this will have. Nice way to destroy this beautiful piece of property TRM. I will no longer support you or our County executives!
Corrupt? Money in their pockets? Yeah, the County Executive and the staff is making tons of money off this homeless project. The new tenants have all sorts of expendable income. They’ll be set up for life off the massive windfall from this project.
I’m not certain which short sided thought process has more merit; the one above, or the NIMBYs who are fighting to save the “last wetland in Pierce County.” You just can’t make this type of mental gymnastics up.
Listen – someone is getting paid somewhere for this nonsense. Likely in the form of campaign donations to Dammeier from the people who will benefit from transplanting these homeless folks from Tacoma to middle of nowhere wetlands in Spanaway without any access to services or anything. Out of sight out of mind. I’m sure the head of TRM is also getting some kickbacks from the government for “fixing the homeless problem” even though they aren’t. The county exec and TRM get to check a box that they fixed a problem when in reality they’ve done nothing. So yes – they are getting their pockets lined one way or another.
The Hearings Examiner refused to acknowledge those wetlands had already been identified as Category 1 in a prior Environmental Impact Statement at this site. In fact, he said he did not care about that properly completed EIS because it was 20 years old. Instead, the county spent a lot of taxpayer dollars to avoid doing a new Environmental Impact Statement on one of the last pristine wetlands in the county. That is bad land use. I’m happy for the few chronically homeless that will benefit from the village. I hope the county will approach Spanaway Lake cleanup efforts with the same zeal. The chronically taxed deserve a clean lake for their children & grandchildren.
Sadly, this project feels like ‘out of sight, out of mind’ for those who most need help. To place the elderly chronically homeless population in a swamp at the end of a road is sad, at best, really rising to the level of abuse. Rules to ‘prevent’ drug abuse and drive ‘acceptable’ behavior in the village are ridiculous. If those who are addicts were able, or willing, to follow rules, perhaps they wouldn’t find themselves in such need?
Without hesitation, my vote will be for new leadership in Pierce County, seeking those who are truly innovative and caring, not just parroting failed programs.
Yes, put the village on a beautiful wetlands and deystroy more of Spanaway. Leave your vulnerable citizens, without a bus, no local mental health or doctors, not even a grocery store they can easily walk too. Because you know they will be happy to just sit around all day in their 300sq ft house, that may or may not have a kitchen.
Wait you have a van to take them? That means they have to plan and if they miss the van it’s gone.
Oh you have staff? Hmm with the rest of Pierce county struggling to keep staff, you think this is where staff will want to go 40 hours a week?
So the residents still using.. you have security. But will that security stop them from breaking into other neighbors homes?? Thinking not. So yet now our strained 911 system will be out everyday.
We want to build for our future, throwing these folks out so they don’t dirty up the main streets is not going to help them.
Yes, I want a place for them to go, but I want a place that has what they need to be successful.
Who likes you? The hundreds of citizens that showed up at County Council meetings, the LUAC meeting and the recent Hearing Examiner meeting that lasted 7 days? No, we don’t like you. We showed up by the hundreds, repeatedly, and made it clear that we do not want this Village built on pristine wetlands. Yet, once again, elected government officials ignore the will of the people and push forward with their agenda. We don’t like being ignored and we don’t like you.
The hundreds of thousands of residents who understand that it is either this location or no location appreciate those responsible for this.
The hundreds of tree huggers are the minority.
No, Scott. This is not the only possible site. There are others. So let’s get that straight and stop the propaganda.
There are a boatload of abandoned hotels and buildings in Lakewood, Puyallup and Tacoma that would be better suited for this endeavor than a beautiful wetland. Why not start there? Oh right. The exec wants to make sure he can tell everyone the homeless problem has been fixed when he runs for governor.
This is an absurd statement.
Why should a wetland complex — that provides you with water to drink, by the way — with rare old-growth forest, protected Garry oaks and endangered Western gray squirrel habitat and remnant prairie be the ONLY place for such a project — one which is fundamentally misguided anyway, by the way?
Just because the property is cheap because NO ONE ELSE can build there? Only those who get special treatment via spot rezoning and biased hearing examiners?
Or because it’s the only place where people like the author of this post can stick society’s undesirables on a small dry area on the other side of acres of wetlands, with bears who visit daily? So they won’t be bothering you in your neighborhood anymore? They’d have to hike across 70 acres just to get to the main road! Perfect!
Yes, there was simply nowhere else so perfect — alles klar! Perfect bears, swamps, mosquitoes, gunfire, and low-flying military aircraft.
Completely disgusting to even suggest such a “Final Solution” (Duke Paulson did say that they would “go there to die”, after all!), much less APPROVE it!
They supposedly looked at 30 properties, but they won’t give us any information on why all those other properties weren’t workable. We all know vacant lands out there that are not on wetlands, and as Krystal says above there are a boatload of motels and K-Marts and other buildings available. The county also owns some big pieces of land they could have chosen, and they wouldn’t have had to pay for it.
Hmmm Scott – I’m nearly certain there are A LOT of abandoned hotels and other buildings in the city of Tacoma, Lakewood and Puyallup that would have been better suited to convert into “homes” than a wetland.
Most of us in Pierce county can’t even so much as look at our wetlands on our property without an EIS, and a boatload of permits. Why would this site be any different? Ohhhhh right – because it’s the county execs pet project so he can tell everyone how he “fixed homelessness in Pierce county” when he tries to make a run for governor. Awesome.
I live in the area designated for the village. I am mad as hell of the approval. We had such compelling evidence showing this is the wrong location. There has not even been an environmental impact study done. The beautiful bears, deers, racoons, coyotes, and other wildlife that live here will die. Shame on everyone that supported this. We will remember you at election time.
hi,
it sure would be nice if you people that got elected would listen to the people that got you elected to office and not someone that is lining your pocket. All you people are doing is band-aiding a problem, and giving handouts where the hard-working people are barely keeping their heads above water. you are going to give free homes to a bunch of potheads and thieves and what are you doing for the working people, raising their taxes and taxing them out of their houses. you put you into office and we can get you out of office. do the right thing, say no to the tiny village and save the marsh land and lake.
thank you
Pat Pimento
So, YEARS in the making huh? What about the Crossbase Highway then? You just admitted KNOWING that it would never get built, despite MILLIONS of taxpayer dollars poured into it and literally building a deadend road. That goes right to your homeless village.
That is called Fraud in the legal system. It’s time people start investigating our pierce county politicians and their backdoor activities…
Self-adulation by public officials does little to restore community confidence in the Village boondoggle. The $62M price tag comes out to $285,000. per dwelling unit, taxpayer money that ends up in the developer’s bank account without putting a dent in the problem of homelessness. Opportunistic proponents will use this as a lucrative template for more villages while asking overburdened taxpayers for untold millions more. All the while the Rescue Mission’s for-profit subsidiaries cash in as well.
My thought has always been who got the big bucks for stream lining this project? It was laid out from the beginning that the area chosen was harmful to the environment. I have no respect for the people who pushed this through.
I think hearing examiner understood what was happening, but he chose to let it go on. Both TRM Duke Paulson and county staff lied under oath about conditions inside 1km perimeter around Spanaway Marsh. Hearing examiner wrote: “The Hearing Examiner can only conclude that the JBLM land within the one-kilometer polygon is not “relatively undisturbed” but, rather, that it is disturbed.” Hearing examiner concluded incorrectly. JBLM recognizes the value of Spanaway Marsh and implements protections for it’s surroundings. Occasional presence of people doesn’t make it a disturbed environment.
Spanaway Marsh is a Category 1 wetland which could once again be determined by a SEPA process. Both county and TRM are afraid of what SEPA outcome would be and they wiggled their way out of doing it with the help of a hearing examiner who in the end of the day works for the county.
Who is paying the money to attempt a second chance to go against Humanity and the Earth..
One must follow the money.
Is this entire charade been designed from the beginning to develop this land for homes? The counsil members have been stating this for over a year as you recalll IF THE VILLIAGE DOES NOT HAPPEN 200 homes will. March 2023 at the county city building when the 6 members of the Pierce County Counsil voted for and one member apposed???REMEMBER!!!
Who is really going to pay to deveop this land ?
Many of us have been denied building permits because we were too close to a creek/ wetland. How can the same department approve multiple houses being built in a wetland? How can they change the rules for a brief moment to allow approval of permits for a select few and then change the rules again? The lawyers defending the wetlands need to research the RICO ACT which is a federal law that provides penalties against corrupt organizations. Pierce County has definitely pursued this project with criminal intent to ruin a Class 1 wetland. I must admit, I did not read the hearing examiners explanation of why it is no longer a Class 1 wetland. It is possible for a wetland to dry up; I suppose, but visit the site and it is still wet !!! This is so sad.
This village is definitely in the wrong location and people are going to destroy this sensitive wet area. I really hope that’s not the case but sure doesn’t seem like the outcome. I wonder if all the people holding trophies patting themselves on the back are going to take any accountability if this ends in a disaster? We shall see… I really really hope I’m wrong about all of this and the village is a safe and stable home for folks that need it… I suppose time will tell, but I just really want the folks pushing for it to know they are accountable.
I am disappointed that the village is proceeding with construction in the Spanaway location. This area is home to animals and trees that need protection, and the proximity to military base activity makes it unsuitable for housing the chronically homeless. Additionally, there is inadequate transportation infrastructure in the area, with limited bus lines. The village also poses a threat to our waterways in Spanaway Lake. The village is wrong to be built in the intended location, messing with the natural environment here, when so many other options could be considered.
pierce county don’t give a crap about the people who live here
they just want to line thier own pockets. they could purchase the old k-mart
building and supplied that for many home less instead of wrecking a wet land.
No, they don’t like us! As a voter in Pierce County we will remember how this all turned out. County officials led by Mr. Dammeir have made a mockery of county government. By thanking all the people you enlisted to help you push this project through against public outcry you reveal just how much power you had to wield to obtain your outcome.
This has never been a NIMBY issue as you and Mr. Paulson like to make the public believe. This is an environmental issue! Why destroy one of the few remaining pristine wetland areas in Pierce County? This area is an important water shed for that feeds all the way to Chambers Bay. An Environmental Impact Statement should be required to determine the long lasting impacts of this project. This is not a feather in your cap Mr. Dammeir it is a nail in yours and the county’s coffin!
as someone who is less than a mile from the proposed “village”, I am heartily OPPOSED to this as I am already victim to multiple “visits” from the homeless scamming for loose items in the yard, trying my door and the latest is human feces in my yard…….NO THANKS. please quit dumping your “projects” on the poor
The results of the hearing are disappointing.
It is like the old days…isolate the lepers outside the camp. What they need is healing loving spiritual help not putting them out in the back 40.
The plan fails a good smell test. It smells instead of rotten politics and deals. If this goes through I hope and pray 🙏 the bad smell doesn’t spread into innumerable bad environmental, and communjty impacts.
This is such an ill conceived plan by a group of individuals (the county exec for one, and TRM) who are undoubtedly lining their pockets with the “donations” for this site. What a crock.
As others have said I guess it’s “out of sight out of mind” with regard to the chronically homeless people who are now being moved out of visible urban areas and placed in a remote location with ZERO access to services (jobs, counseling, groceries) next to a busy road way. Great. What could possibly go wrong??
Not to mention these homeless people will be allowed to use drugs and there isn’t 24/7 security. I feel bad for the tax paying home owners next door. I also feel bad for the wildlife and the ecosystem and anyone who depends on the wetland and the aquifers that will undoubtedly be tainted now.
Here’s a better idea TRM sell this land, build some multi family housing on it for people who are actually trying to live honestly with affordable rents instead of just allowing the lawlessness and freeloading. TRY ACTUALLY HELPING PEOPLE.
I’ll make sure not to vote for any one who had anything to do with the approval of this nonsense. Dammeier is really alienating the conservative base that elected him in the first place – nice work bud.
What a crock. I sure hope something can be done to stop this bs.
Hopefully the Hearing Examiner’s decision will be appealed. I flicked through it and it seemed to me flawed on many levels.
And it was interesting that during the hearing one group of people who didn’t give evidence were the homeless themselves. I suppose the key thing is to get them out of the way, to dump them in some faraway swamp that supposedly no one cares about.
Well, actually, some people do care about these prime wetlands, which are going to be irreparably damaged.
Some of these people are being forced to spend vast amounts of money in legal fees trying to protect the environment their properties are adjacent to. Maybe the County reasoned that they couldn’t afford to raise this money?
Perhaps if they had been a bit richer and a bit better connected Dammeier and his minions would have left them alone and found a more suitable property on which to dump the homeless. But is any property suitable for such dumping?
I suppose the answer is yes, if you follow Donald Trump’s lead. It was he who suggested that the homeless be put in tents on “large parcels of inexpensive land in the outer reaches of the cities”. OK, it is tiny homes and not tents, but I think the principle remains the same.
Anyway, shame on the County for what they are doing and shame on Dammeier for writing such a disgusting and triumphal piece. We’re not talking about a movie set, we are talking about a biodiverse environment which the County seems hell-bent on destroying.
And if you’re a progressive who thinks the village is a wonderful idea, consider the possibility that your bleeding heart is being manipulated. You’ve been pushed into a false choice, between the needs of the environment and the needs of the homeless. You’re being made to think that destroying the environment is worth it in order to provide a band-aid solution to a complex social problem.
The purported benefits of this project are illusory. The damage is eternal.
One formerly homeless man spoke at the PSM LUAC meeting. He said you could not pay him to live in what essentially be an island prison.
The pompousness and audacious comments of Bruce Dammeier and his self-congratulatory, back-patting post will come back to haunt his legacy when this ridiculous project fails, and mark my words, it will fail. I sat through countless hours of testimony and heard plenty of compelling arguments against this project. Pierce County gamed the system to work in their favor in order to achieve their desired outcome. Pierce County is inherently corrupt and has a lengthy history of degrading the environment, by putting profit over protecting our dwindling natural resources. As they say, “money talks.” Clearly louder than the voices of tax paying citizens of Pierce County.
Essentially, the whole hearing was theater, a cursory exercise, and a very expensive exercise in futility at that. The outcome was already pre-determined. Folks, gone are the days where elected politicians carry our the will of the people. This will not be forgotten and let anyone who considers running for County Council/Executive take heed. This citizens of Pierce County are pissed and that will certainly influence our decisions on the ballot. It’s high time elected officials get back to the business of doing their jobs. I will leave you with a quote from the wisdom of the great Mark Twain: “Politicians are a lot like diapers. They should be changed frequently, and for the same reasons.”
The Development Community is complicit in this, too. Dammeier is part of that community. These profiteers need to learn to care about creating development that contributes to a community, instead of destroying its livability.
“I appreciated our great representation during the hearing by the Prosecutor’s Office.” – Mr. Dammier, you don’t seem to understand what you are talking about. Hearing examiner is not part of the Prosecutor’s office, but I do hope you’ll need representation there (the Prosecutor’s Office) one day.
Disgusted. Again, let’s shove them in the Spanaway area with absolutely no services and over a mile from a grocery store or bus line. The only homeless I work and live among are drug addicts and thieves. Working in real estate and property management in Spanaway for over 27 years, my clients have spent thousands and thousands of dollars to keep their properties free of the drug addicted, destructive homeless that don’t want any help. Not to speak of what we’ve spent on keeping our home and business safe for ourselves and employees.
Then there’s the sensitive area it’s planned for. Have you ever tried to get a building permit with a little bit of wetlands? Well, guess what, the average citizen struggles, waits (sometimes years) to see if there is anything they can do with their own property. Wipe all those rules out for the rulers of our land. They always get their way. I wonder what back room deals have been made?
Doesn’t seem right or fair. Par for the course the way the world is today. And mark my words…THIS IS A BAD PLAN AND WILL NOT STOP THE ‘HOMELESS’ PROBLEM. Good money thrown at bad. Drugs are illegal and theft, robbery and vandalism are also illegal. They get away with it daily. Why change and live under rules?
Why haven’t we learned from these two situations in our own local recent history???
1. Homeless encamped along banks of Puyallup River had Fentanyl. Fentanyl was in Puyallup river and there was a warning not to eat fish caught there.
2. South Hosmer, 84th-90th St became site for homeless housing in cheap long extended hotel stays. The result were drug dealers and a dramatic increase in crime, including violent crimes and homicjdes.
Conclusion: From recent local history it seems the Village will yield pollution w drugs and increased crime. It is not a responsible ethical eco-friendly or community friendly solution.
I am Sylvia, Cleora’s Daughter.
My concerns are that the Village will increase the amount of homeless who will flock to this area and create encampments. We’ll see more homeless in this area and that they will overrun Spanaway!!!
The Village will not be large enough to contain them!
Having more homeless will drastically detract from the natural Peace and Beauty of our area!
A reminder who needs to get booted out of the council:
https://online.co.pierce.wa.us/cfapps/council/iview/proposal.cfm?proposal_num=2023-5s