Residents who live near the Fremont Troll, and several of them who clean and maintain the park around the popular sculpture, have crafted a letter and a plea to neighbors to request help from the City of Seattle. They’ve sent out a letter asking everyone to write or e-mail City officials asking for removal of encampments in the park land around the Fremont Troll.
A group of residents have written a form letter for fellow Troll fans to use as a template request for clearing away campers who are befouling and trashing the park. In an area used by tourists and children, these concerned neighbors feel encampments are inappropriate, and can even be dangerous.
This is the letter they recommend:
Dear [City Official]:
While I am deeply concerned about the plight of people facing homelessness in our city and want continued funding and support for more shelters for those in need, I feel that allowing a large illegal encampment at the site of the Fremont Troll, a major tourist destination, and within a dense residential neighborhood is not acceptable. The encampments create a serious health concern, particularly due to the presence of needles near an area where families and small children visit every day.
Prior to the September 8, 2018 neighborhood clean-up, there was a temporary removal of the encampments by the Navigation Team. City workers removed a large number of needles, but still the neighborhood volunteers found many additional needles on the day of the clean-up. The encampments returned to this space less than 24 hours after the clean-up and since then, orange needle safety caps have been found on the sidewalk directly in front of the Troll, leading to the question of “Where is the needle that goes with these caps?”.
In addition to the safety issue of needles, the obvious problem of human waste is of great concern. Residents have witnessed people going to the bathroom in the bushes of a nearby apartment building and have found used sanitary napkins on the sidewalk. Mounds of garbage are constantly needing to be removed and it is left to neighbors to report it and deal with it. The hard work of the neighborhood clean-up was so quickly undone.
In the last several months, disruptive fireworks were being set off from the encampment during random hours of the day, and middle of the night. Several small fires have had to be put out due to open flames. Also, there is a likely link to the increase of crime in the neighborhood.
I am not implying that all or even most people facing homelessness are criminals, but the desperate need to satisfy an addiction, which is clearly evident for many living in the encampments, coupled with the transient population the encampments attract is too high a link to blatantly ignore. This situation is taking a heavy toll on my sense of safety and pride in my home and how at ease I feel in my neighborhood.
I am glad to live in a city that ensures shelter space is available whenever the Navigation Team clears the encampments and that there are so many resources available to those facing homelessness. However, when the majority of campers refuse critically needed housing and mental health services, other actions must be taken for the safety and well-being of our citizens and city workers. This concentration of illegal encampments is too close to a major tourist area and densely populated neighborhood for this problem to consistently occur.
I urge you to take the following actions to address this serious issue:
- Immediately deem the green space right of ways around the Troll an Emphasis Zone. This will enable the enforcement of the no-camping laws in place and install proper signage.
- Expand the west side Troll’s Knoll Park to the east side right of way as was the original plan in 2010. This will allow the neighborhood to activate and use the much needed green space.
Thank you,
Please send this message to Seattle City Council, the Mayor of Seattle’s Office and anyone else you think might push for cleaning up this area in ways the neighborhood volunteers cannot. We need this area to be safe for visitors and the people who live and play in the area. A signed letter sent to the Council is considered most effective, but an e-mail can also serve. Together, we can all make a positive change to make our neighborhood safer.
To find a .pdf of this letter, click here.
Letters can be addressed to:
- Mayor Jenny Durkan, jenny.durkan@seattle.gov, 206-684-4000, P.O. Box 94749, Seattle, WA 98124
- City Councilmember Mike O’Brien (District #6 – Fremont West), mike.obrien@seattle.gov, 206-684-8800, P.O. Box 34025, Seattle, WA 98124
- City Councilmember Rob Johnson (District #4 – Fremont East), rob.johnson@seattle.gov, 206-684-8808, P.O. Box 34025, Seattle, WA 98124
- City Councilmember Teresa Mosqueda, teresa.mosqueda@seattle.gov, 206-684-8806, P.O. Box 34025, Seattle, WA 98124
- City Councilmember Lorena Gonzalez, lorena.gonzalez@seattle.gov, 206-684-8802, P.O. Box 34025, Seattle, WA 98124
- City Councilmember Lisa Herbold, lisa.herbold@seattle.gov, 206-684-8803, P.O. Box 34025, Seattle, WA 98124
- City Councilmember Bruce Harrell, bruce.harrell@seattle.gov, 206-684-8804, P.O. Box 34025, Seattle, WA 98124
- City Councilmember Kshama Sawant, kshama.sawant@seattle.gov, 206-684-8016, P.O. Box 34025, Seattle, WA 98124
- City Councilmember Debora Juarez, debora.juarez@seattle.gov, 206-684-8805, P.O. Box 34025, Seattle, WA 98124
- City Councilmember Sally Bagshaw, sally.bagshaw@seattle.gov, 206-684-8801, P.O. Box 34025, Seattle, WA 98124
Help spread the word, and voice your opinions to our elected officials! They need to know how we feel about the encampments, the trash and feces, and the safety of the area.
Thank you!