Via Pierce Prairie Post by Marianne Lincoln.
The first clue that construction was beginning was a video posted on YouTube that showed a backhoe digging in Spanaway Creek, replacing a culvert without a permit issued. Spanaway Concerned Citizens emailed out alerts, filed complaints, and called their attorney. I knew about the protest and showed up to get photos. But once there, I ran into Executive Dammeier and TRM Executive Director Duke Paulson, and got a pass to attend the groundbreaking and later, visited the site to see the trees falling.
Along the way, I saw the roadside blackberries that were seriously overgrowing Wasmund Road have been torn out on both sides of the road. Work has been done to both creek crossings. Although controversial, culverts and channels have been altered to improve creek flow.
Since I do not walk well these days, the upgraded roadway was a blessing. I took my AWD SUV up to the construction site. I will share some of what I saw. I had a few discussions with contractors that were on the road preparing the runoff protect. Yes, professionals are on site and putting in the barriers. There are several different companies at work on the site. You can also see I am taking photos through a buffer zone of trees that are required to stay in place.
I also drove up to the former Ober home, now being used as an office for the Tacoma Rescue Mission (TRM). When the house was in sight I took a photo and immediately wished my camera had been pointed another direction as a large, 90 foot tree came crashing to the ground. I missed the shot. It is a very unique kind of “whump” as that much weight hits the ground. Although I paused to see if I could get another shot of another tree coming down, a van of TRM employees drove up and suggested I leave. As they backed their van up, I missed a second shot of a tree falling. Not my day for falling trees, but I have video of large tree parts being disassembled.
As I left, a group of the protestors were coming up the road to take a peek on site. As far as we know, it is still a county road. The TRM van stopped to talk to them. I did not stick around to see if they were given notice of trespassing. I went to take a photo from the former Mosier property of additional ground word taking place for the eventual site entry road. And, that will likely mean a roundabout also.
Next, I drove up to the north side of the project site (169th St. Ct. S.). You can see the road is narrow and passes through a swampland. High water table years can make it difficult to get home there.
At the end of the road, I chatted with one of the neighbors. He pointed out where the boundary of the TRM site ended and JBLM property began, which also happened to be his driveway. I mentioned that I did see the buffer trees in the pattern of removal. The neighborhood is quite rural, so far that is.
Apologies to my friend on the Kiwanis Board, I was 30 minutes late. It took me awhile to get a comprehensive look at the entire affected area. But it seemed like I should just get all of it while I was there. I hope this look at the site makes the entire controversy a bit more understandable.
Now, having explored this topic, I need to include that I am a founding member of the board of Family Promise of Pierce County (FPPC). Our organization started in January 2023, garnered grants and hired a CEO in November of 2023. Operations began in January of 2024 and on July 1, FPPC began handling the intake for all of Pierce County’s homeless population. They refer the single people to organizations like TRM and focus their services on family units that are experiencing homelessness. FPPC opened a shelter on 163rd, a day center on 165th St. and now has offices in the old Parkland School. They have placed nearly 100 families back into housing this year. This should better explain why Duke Paulson allowed me to participate in the events today and to get more of the story. Another story another day will add that FPPC needs volunteers and donors too.
Spanaway Concerned Citizens sent out this drone footage Monday, 11/25.
Homeless is a cottage industry in King and Pierce county’s, so corrupt and pathetic! A job, career and fruitful investment for many!
I’m firmly liberal here in my views, AND I found this youtube about “liberal hypocrisy” excellent. https://youtu.be/hNDgcjVGHIw
the TLDR; here is that we claim to believe in housing for everyone, but consistantly have problems with project. I think it’s a bad case of NIMBY-ism (not in my backyard -ism). I have an ADU on my property, and if this area the article is about isn’t the correct spot for this: what is? We gotta do something for housing.
consistently
Excellent YouTube video!
This project, way out in the boonies, will isolate a small bit of the homeless population’s visibility but it won’t do anything to solve the problem.
Perhaps we should stop using the word “homeless” to describe people who live on the street. It connotes the lack of a roof over their heads when it’s what’s in their heads that’s the problem. Words are important. This is yet another example of government misstating the problem and then coming up with an apparent “solution” that fails to solve it.
Call it what it is. Any combination of the words (or synonyms) vagrant, derelict, transients, destitute, indigent, disturbed, habituated, etc. will shine a linguistic light on the real problems and perhaps enlighten government to the real problem and real solutions.
Don’t worry about offending “disturbed indigents” with this new label. It’s the least of their worries. Worry about offending the “homeless” industry which depends for its funding for keeping this problem unsolvable while focusing on $$$ from building housing that isn’t the real problem. What’s needed is mental health services to include involuntary commitment, drug de-tox, and laws that discourage rather than encourage this life style.
Who is going to force street people to move into a tiny home? Who is going to police their behavior? Who is going to take them to services? Who is going to attend to their food, health care etc. needs? You can bet that the supply side of their drug addiction will understand the market dynamics of moving into this project and show up quickly to provide an on-site supply of the very drugs that they buy on the street elsewhere. Will government be as quick to react?