Complaints lead to order to clear homeless RVs, debris from vacant Seattle lot

People who live near the now-vacant Sam’s Club in North Seattle off Aurora Avenue are fed up with the trash that’s piled up from RVs that set up camp in the parking lot.

Neighbors tell KIRO 7 the homeless RV camp was set up the day after Sam’s Club closed in mid-January. The city gave an emergency order to Sam’s Club to remove all debris and vehicles by Wednesday, March 28.

RELATED: Time for more RVs on Seattle’s private property

By midday Thursday, the RVs were still there. Now the city is threatening fines, and a spokesperson says Sam’s Club has contracted a towing company.

“Well it’s been an invasion of our neighborhood of garbage,” George Dicks said.  “And people being hostile.”

He and other neighbors say they’ve been complaining to the city and Sam’s Club since the store closed and the RVs moved in.

“They were there the next day,” Dutton Clarke said, who owns Stereo Warehouse just up the block. He said the trash and issues spill onto his property.  “There’s condoms in the parking lot, hypodermic needles behind the store,” he said.

Dutton says the location may be new for these RVs, but they’ve been causing issues along Aurora Avenue for years.

“They’re the same ones,” he said. “As far as I’m concerned those motor homes shouldn’t even be allowed. I think there should be maybe a permit where you have to have a permit to park a motor home on the street. And get rid of them. It’s an eyesore and it’s dangerous.”

The city posted a notice on Sam’s Club dated Friday, March 23. The emergency order gave Walmart, the property owner, until Wednesday, March 28, to remove the debris and vehicles from the property or face fines.

A city spokesperson told KIRO 7 on Thursday that Walmart will put post no-parking signs and has contracted with a towing company.

They told the campers they have to be out by Friday.

But one RV camper told KIRO 7 off camera those signs don’t mean anything to them. KIRO 7 will let you know what happens.