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Sequim pastor and volunteers urge city to address overnight camping and safety at Seal Street area
Summary
Local nonprofit leaders and church volunteers told council that two long‑term campers in the Seal Street Park area are creating safety and dignity concerns for nearby businesses, families and patrons; staff said they are researching whether the site is officially designated parkland and will return with a legal description.
Representatives of Calvary Chapel Sequim and volunteer groups told the council during the Aug. 11 public‑comment period that two individuals camping near the downtown park are creating a pattern of behavior they said endangers children and discourages patrons from visiting nearby businesses.
Pastor David Rivers described outreach work his church and volunteers provide and said the presence of the campers has deterred families and donors from using the downtown pathway to the ramen shop, where volunteers serve meals. He said one of the men is a registered sex‑offender and that both have been seen with minors and with weapons, creating safety and public‑dignity concerns.
A volunteer representing a women’s resiliency group said her group counts young children and high‑school students walking nearby and that she and other volunteers have observed drug activity in the area on weekday mornings.
City response and next steps Staff told council they are investigating whether the area is formally dedicated parkland. Public Works reported the property was donated in 1928 as a right‑of‑way and that staff have not found a formal council action that converted the strip into dedicated park real property. Public Works said it will prepare a legal description and return to the council with options in September. The police chief and outreach partners said they maintain contacts with the people living in the location and have engaged them frequently.
Why it matters: Public commenters and several councilors framed the issue as balancing safety for families and downtown businesses with outreach and shelter options for people experiencing homelessness. Staff said enforcement and management depend in part on the legal status of the property and on current state and federal case law that constrains removal of encampments in certain right‑of‑way settings.
Ending: Public Works and police said they will report back to council with a legal description and options; volunteers and faith‑based groups said they will continue outreach in the meantime.
