BELLINGHAM, WA (MyBellinghamNow.com) – The City of Bellingham’s top leadership met with community stakeholders to discuss one of the city’s largest homeless encampments.
More than 100 people attended a meeting on Tuesday, Nov. 19, at the La Quinta Inn just across the street from the encampment at Bakerview Road and Northwest Avenue.
Bellingham Police Lt. Claudia Murphy stated that the city cannot force the five property owners whose land it is to clear the encampment without lengthy legal action. She added that the city does not do unannounced “sweeps” of encampments, and campers are only removed after warnings and in coordination with the cleanup effort.
Lt. Murphy and Mayor Kim Lund urged those in attendance to use official channels to report any incidents that stem from the encampment.
The hour-long meeting drew mixed reactions from those in attendance.
“The fact that they’re here and they’re talking to the public is very encouraging, so I’m pleased about that,” said one attendee.
“I only heard maybe three or four questions asked,” said another. “I came here to listen to what my community has to say, and I didn’t hear anything from my community.”
The meeting’s main organizer, Jean Scribner, says the next community discussion on the encampment will be held on Dec. 10 at an undetermined location. Mayor Lund says the city will reconvene with the five property owners in December to hear their final plans of action moving forward.
Tuesday’s meeting coincided with the beginning of the city’s clearing of another major encampment off East Stuart Road near Walmart.
