SEATTLE NEWS ARCHIVES & FEATURES
How many RVs have moved into Seattle’s Ballard safe lot so far?
Feb 23, 2016, 2:56 PM | Updated: 5:24 pm
The Ballard safe RV lot for the homeless will shut down in early August because the land is needed for another project. (Don O'Neill, KIRO Radio)
(Don O'Neill, KIRO Radio)
KIRO Radio’s Don O’Neill has watched the Seattle RV issue closely. He’s noticed quite a few of the campers parked along roadsides in his Queen Anne neighborhood, and he has eagerly awaited the results of the city’s new safe-lot program designed to move RVs off Seattle streets, and into a lot where services can be provided.
Related: Seattle opens Ballard safe lot while sweeping Magnolia homeless encampment
The safe lot in Ballard opened and began accepting RVs on Feb. 19. It is set up to take in about 50 of the large vehicles.
A nearby stretch of 14th Avenue — near a boat ramp — has served as a waiting area for RVs, which were given temporary camping permits; the no-parking requirement temporary lifted. After four days, Don decided to check on the progress Tuesday afternoon.
“This is a big, big (safe) lot over by the water. I’m thinking to myself, ’35-50 campers should be over there,'” Don said. “I went over there. How many people do you think are in the safe lot, after all the money and all the drama?”
There are currently six RVs in the Ballard safe lot, according to Don. Nearby on 14th Avenue, RVs are still parked despite temporary permission for them to be there expiring.
“It says ‘no tow,’ it’s the 23rd … and the only ones that were towed were the ones that wanted to go to the safe lot,” Don said. “The boat ramp has never been busier over on 14th where all the RVs were supposed to move. A number of the same RVs are there. And the RVs that were towed out — that made room for other RVs. So there are now some there that I’ve never seen before.”
“(The camping permits) expired on the 18th, today is the 23rd, and the no-parking signs went up on the 22nd. It’s now a tow-away zone,” Don said.
According to KIRO 7, the city only intends to keep the Ballard safe lot open until August. The city has a case manager assigned to safe lot residents to get them into permanent housing. The lot currently has portable bathrooms and a kitchen tent. There is also garbage service.
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