After at least one formal complaint, the Seattle Department of Transportation has issued a warning, but Del Monte Brewing, which was jointly undertaken by City Council members elected Sarah Nelson, obstructed the public's Ballard brewing facility in its territory, which contained a large number of concrete "ecological blocks."

As PubliCola reported last summer, the ecological blocks-they are so called because they are a by-product of concrete production. They use waste that would otherwise occupy landfills-for business owners, this is a kind of A cheap way to prevent people living in their cars from parking on the street next to them. characteristic.

Since the beginning of the pandemic, when the city stopped enforcing laws requiring people to move vehicles every three days, these neighborhoods have proliferated in Seattle’s industrial area, which is the only place where people living in oversized vehicles can legally park. Business owners say that the presence of RVs and other types of large vehicles (such as vans) discourage customers, and the large concentration of RVs can cause health and safety issues, which affect customers and employees.

Blocking public streets is illegal, but SDOT treats eco-blocks differently from other street obstacles; it is different from punishing business owners to take over public spaces belonging to everyone. If a random person sets up a tire fort or a craft fair in the middle of the street, They may punish business owners, and the department has responded to the proliferation of eco-blocks and raised their hands.

This applies not only to Fremont Brewing that received a written warning, but also to many other businesses around the city’s industrial area and the U.S. Postal Service, which surrounded Ballard's sorting facility with an eco-block as early as August 2020.

At the time, USPS spokesperson Ernie Swanson told PubliCola that “USPS has obtained the consent of the city government to set up concrete barriers” in response to the surge in RVs in the area. The Seattle Department of Transportation disputed this, saying that these roadblocks were "not allowed," but did not take any action. Compared with similar products recently installed in front of the Bevmo! anchored strip mall across the street, they still exist today, with graffiti everywhere and looking dirty. 

Swanson was contacted to understand why these blocks still existed more than a year later, said: "Concrete blocks were placed in front of Ballard PO and other neighboring businesses to deal with needles, human waste and other discards on property. Hazardous materials. As of now, these blocks are not only kept in front of the PO, but also in front of other businesses in the area. We didn’t know that a permit was needed.”

The city's process of handling the Fremont Brewing eco-block is typical. According to a notice sent to the company by SDOT on September 17, after someone filed an anonymous complaint against these neighborhoods in September, SDOT conducted an inspection on the streets near Fremont Brewing and "observed the ecological neighborhood." "We do not allow this type of use due to traffic safety issues and traffic and utility access requirements in the right of public way. Please remove these unauthorized encroachments from the right of public way before the compliance date shown below "-November 10th.

November 10th came and went in a hurry; the block still exists. About a week later, the case was closed.

SDOT spokesperson Ethan Bergerson told PubliCola that the department followed "standard procedures" when responding to complaints. "The first step in the enforcement process is to mail a letter to the neighboring business or owner informing them of their responsibility to remove the concrete block," Bergson said. "The purpose of this letter is to have a dialogue with the responsible parties so that we can find a way forward and lead them to remove unauthorized concrete blocks. So far, we have reported to the surrounding areas of Ballard, Sodo and Georgetown. Owners and businesses near the concrete blocks left in more than a dozen locations sent letters of this nature.... Our approach (in cooperation with Fremont Brewing) is the same as other places."

Matt Lincecum, the owner of Fremont Brewing (and Nelson's husband), who runs the company every day, declined to comment on this story, as did Nelson.

SDOT has the right to take enforcement actions against any enterprise (or government entity) that uses ecological blocks or other objects to obstruct public streets so that the public cannot enter the streets, sidewalks or parking spaces. So far, it has not done so except for the warning issued to Fremont Brewing.

As if to emphasize the city's law enforcement methods, Seattle City Lights installed its own anti-RV fortifications at its Canal Substation, which is two blocks away from Fremont Brewing and the Ballard Brewery area scattered in other ecological neighborhoods. In addition to the ecological block on the street, there are two levels of fences on the north side of the substation, which completely block the public sidewalk. A review of historical Google Maps shows that the eco-block was installed sometime after August last year, when several RVs were parked on the south side of the substation. The fence is also new; as of June 2021, according to Google Maps, several RVs are also parked on the side of the substation. Since then, the RV seems to have moved around the corner to a narrow residential street on the east side of the building.

We have contacted City Light and SDOT regarding the obstacles around the canal substation, and we will update this article after we receive a response.

From the perspective of the owners, the ecological block solves an imminent problem-people living in RVs or parking large vehicles indefinitely in front of their businesses-the city has failed to solve. But the fact remains that even if the city continues to turn a blind eye to street barriers that maintain order, unless the area no longer ignores the needs of people living in cars, nothing will really change. They occupy Jinxian County and are homeless. It belongs to half of the population. In the absence of "safe locations", social services, and affordable permanent housing, people sleeping in cars will continue to occupy public space,

However, there are not many half-approved street and sidewalk obstacles that can solve the fundamental problem: the city and county provide almost no resources for people living in vehicles, and they account for half of the area's homeless population.

I don’t know why we try to accommodate those who do not pay taxes or contribute to society anyway. Eco-blocks allow the actual public to use public spaces, rather than providing free housing for drug dealers and drug users. It is a public space, not a place where rent is paid or homeless people live. I personally live in Georgetown, and I am very grateful to the neighborhoods where I have been resettled, because now I can park, and I don’t have to carry personal protective weapons when I leave home, and I don’t have to worry about my vehicle or property being broken into or damaged. We need more blocks than degraded cleanup

Erica, please read these comments. You are the one who lost contact here.

Clear the camp. Smooth out the remaining dirt.

Thank God, the ecological block is there. Please do not delete them. AF Sadly, this is all it takes to reduce crime, the accumulation of needles and human waste, and to take over once safe areas. Since the homeless took over, Ballard has become an extremely dangerous place to live, live, or move around.

I hope so! [To be clear, I mean in response to some comments left in this article (e.g. Nik @ Phinney Ridge painting) and not the article itself! ]

On my own behalf, (as a Western Australian citizen who was homeless a few years ago) I am disgusted by the way more and more of our homeless people treat the way they choose to build their land. The amount of discarded needles and other biohazardous waste is shocking, except for the "normal" daily garbage they leave behind. I can hardly understand anyone who is so careless and careless about the space they currently choose to live in... It's as if they don't respect the beauty of our country and its natural landscape at all!

If more people among the homeless spend very little time and energy to pick up their camp and surrounding areas, and then maintain their camp and surrounding areas, then other members of the community may have a chance of their existence There will be far fewer foul-smelling roads... and local business owners hardly need to install eco-blocks in public parking lots next to their facilities.

Although I can certainly sit here and point out various flaws, I personally think how the growing homeless population in Washington is and has been resolved/"handled" by the city and state governments, but I feel that so many citizens and Government officials will be more willing to spend 1,000% of their time trying to come up with solutions or strategies that may provide assistance to individuals affected by this heinous, absolute pandemic-level homelessness (Even permanent housing!) The problem is that if more of these affected people act in this way, it shows that they actually don't know anything about the remaining beauty of protecting our state's natural landscape! If half of them care and respect the land they live in, and take a little time in the day to improve some of their waste management methods, so that they are not living in absolute SQUALOR [in their own urine, feces, Discarded (usually without lids!) used syringes, food and drink wrappers, half-eaten food, dirty shoes/clothes, etc.], leaving an incredibly disgusting mess every time they move. Then I am willing to bet that I hardly know that more Western Australian citizens are interested in finding some way to help people stay away from the street and keep them away from the street, which is obviously in the best interest of every participant.

I think I can only speak for myself, when I say that I tend to be more willing to help those who put in some time and energy to try to help themselves, rather than help those who continue to dig deeper into themselves and go deep underground-and, come from People who have been there... 100% may be homeless, and at the same time, don't leave all your rubbish and waste in the whole city. All it takes is a little desire and a little effort.

They are not here because they are. They are here because you care.

Thanks to other commenters for pointing out the author’s blatant double standards, which laws she thinks are worth/just enforceable.

The residents of Ballard are here. What's the question? ? If the block is not there, then this space will be occupied by people who live outside, and the RV dumps sewage into our streets and waterways.

That’s great, I hope Olympia Western Australia’s businesses and governments can do the same

I work for a company in Ballard, and we and many neighboring companies have launched eco-blocks. Each item is $15, and I wish the city government good luck in removing and storing them. They are all paid in cash, so I don't know who they belong to and there is no written record of ownership. I believe that they will come back immediately before New York City starts to enforce the law uniformly.

Before the 72-hour rule is implemented, companies have more power.

The impact on enterprises is huge, and enterprises should not be allowed to bear our social failures.

That is not the burden they have to bear, but ours.

Your article is misleading. I'm not sure if this is due to your own bias or lack of context. Rather than dealing with this issue strictly from a human rights perspective, you might spend a little time studying the impact of long-term RV camping on businesses like me in the area. Believe me, no one nearby wants to swallow all useful parking spaces with an ecological block. This is just a strategy to alleviate the unbearable impact and conditions caused by a small number of long-term RV residents on our business and surrounding areas.

Matt may not be willing to talk to you, but as the owner of a neighboring business, I am certainly willing and welcome to have a conversation with you on this topic.

For the benefit of your readers, I will make a long story short, these ecological blocks have been used as a final effort to ensure the safety of our physical business locations, the public, and our employees.

We have suffered attacks, thefts, trespassing, constant destruction, theft and destruction, especially in relation to individuals who have long lived in RVs near our businesses. Not to mention the large amount of rubbish, needles, human excrement and rodent infestation in and around our business premises.

Before entering these blocks, we have been dealing with the theft of catalytic converters on our commercial vehicles and employee vehicles. Since the block has entered, this has completely stopped. Motorhomes are more than just shelters for the homeless. They also provide shelter for drug dealers, pimps, Culebra abusers, and prolific criminals who have been stealing from law-abiding citizens/businesses for years and taking advantage of the loose enforcement policies nearby.

Another problem that you did not mention in your article is that these RVs are parked on both sides of the street, causing huge safety hazards. The parking method of the RV narrows the road so that two cars driving in opposite directions cannot pass through the 48th road at the same time. This is an artery. Due to the large number of RVs, limited visibility, and serious harm to pedestrians, cyclists and passing vehicles, there have been multiple frontal collisions and T-bone collisions. As far as I know, after being involved in an accident caused by restricted visibility of RVs, many ordinary citizens have filed a lawsuit against the city.

For the past 7 years, we have been asking SDOT to provide speed bumps, better lighting, illuminating crosswalks, and parking enforcement, but we have not received any attention or help. My employees have been victims of hit-and-run accidents, vehicle accidents involving pedestrians and cyclists, and vehicle collision accidents. All these things can be prevented with some very simple traffic safety improvements. If "Vision Zero" is not public spending PR, people would think these things are important, but obviously they are not.

After all, I think we have to ask ourselves what the purpose of these parking spaces is. Are the parking spaces there for residents, employees, suppliers, and customers of local businesses, or are they used by people to live full-time and harm all other nearby activities? You seem to imply that these parking spaces are public spaces that anyone should have the right to use. Personally, considering that I can no longer safely enter Woodland Park, I cannot understand this argument because I am afraid of personal attack or exposure to hazardous materials.

You are a respected reporter in this city. Therefore, I think you should dig deeper into all of us. Seriously, why is only KOMO interested in things on our side? Why are our needs and our demands seen as anti-homeless neighborhoodism? We have legitimate dissatisfaction. The only media outlet we are interested in is a subsidiary of Sinclair? come on. I don't want to talk to them, but I really want to talk to you. Are you planning to silence people like me, or are you really willing to cover the whole story by engaging with actual stakeholders and those most affected?

I would love to tell you more about the history of Leary Camp Triangle, our interactions with City Council member Dan Strauss, our participation in the Seattle Sympathy Service, they have helped a lot in this place, and the many challenges this problem has brought me And complexity. Business and other.

Captain Brad is here. I have lived in Ballard's RV for a year. I spend time talking with neighbors who walk and live near me. They all said they knew my situation. I lost my charter business due to lack of business. They thanked me for not putting anything outside and let the parking belt take away from others. I think that if people talk to other people living in the vehicles they might find, and their disagreements can be resolved. The three are before. I was designing a business to propose to the city council. At that time, I was a trap on the boat and suggested that I provide services for the city's RV. Before I knew it, I was living in an RV, and there was a knock on the door. The city hired a supplier to produce the RV. I am a retired veterinarian, now rescued, and moved the RV to the storage room and moved into a beautiful apartment. The Holy Spirit does exist.

Am I right: If there is no response to the very real safety, health, and crime issues related to some RV campers, can you, but you complain that SDOT is not fast enough to eliminate ecological barriers? This kind of double standard is precisely what got Bruce Harrell elected. People want to cooperate, not blame each other. Maybe I suggest you read and follow the advice given by Norm Rice in his recent book on the subject? But wait, I forgot that you live in your own bubble and cannot handle anything you say outside the bubble. It's ok.

If the city will allow certain technically illegal activities (such as parking on public streets for more than 72 hours, camping on sidewalks or parks, shoplifting, possession of heroin/meth/fentanyl), then the city has a beautiful The weak case of why it should be able to oppose the owners who placed ecological blocks in front of their plots.

When the owner sees all these situations where the city ignores the law or chooses not to enforce it, the owner clearly thinks to themselves "if the city will allow illegal behavior X, Y, or Z...they will allow me to install the ecological block of course." This is how we find ourselves now.

My preference is to let the city enforce all laws, rather than pick and choose, but the city chose the salad bar method of law enforcement. It only makes sense for residents to choose which laws to follow and which laws can be easily ignored.

Instead of prohibiting parking, it is better to encourage the awareness and fundraising of the RV crowd, and help them repair and move them.

James Dillard: Yes, please try it so that I can make fun of you when another stupid idea fails. To give a simple example: You mean all I need to do is repair my RV for free is to park it on the streets of Seattle? Count me in. Please reply so that I can give a dozen more examples. Ha ha. Steve Willie.

Paragraph 4 feels misleading. SDOT's treatment of ecological neighborhoods is no different from that of lawnmowers who take over public access rights and intimidate neighbors in the neighborhood.

In addition, I speculate that SCL is trying to protect critical infrastructure from the numerous RV/camp fires that plague the area. A substation fire can be a disaster.

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