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Residents urge stronger code enforcement over long‑running neighborhood blight; council asks staff for follow‑up
Summary
Three residents during public comment described persistent code violations and safety concerns at a property cited as 5502 Bristlewood Drive, reporting rodent infestations, loud noise, unpermitted vehicle storage and slow or ineffective enforcement. Council members asked staff to prepare a report detailing what the city has done and what it can or cannot do next.
Several University Place residents used the council's public‑comment period Dec. 1 to press for more effective code enforcement at a neighborhood property repeatedly reported to the city.
Deborah Nellis told the council she has been pursuing the issue since Nov. 2, 2021 and described longstanding problems at the property she named at the meeting: rodent infestations that have cost her nearly $8,000 in repairs, ongoing loud noise and what she called hazardous material being leaked into the street. "I've been fighting this guy legally since 11/02/2021," Nellis said, and described repeated calls, inspections she viewed as inadequate and slow follow‑up from city staff.
Neighbor Marcy Norton said she lives near the cited address and described vehicles and a city bus parked close to neighboring homes, and a sense that online complaints had not prompted timely responses. "We pay city taxes, and we've gotten no help," Norton said. Dan Novogratzky echoed those concerns, saying he observed multiple vehicles on the property and described prior ticketing efforts that were later dismissed by a judge. "I counted 7 vehicles," he told the council, saying many appeared derelict or unlicensed.
Council members acknowledged the seriousness of the complaints and asked staff to assemble a factual report for the council outlining what the city has done to date, what authorities were used and what actions remain available under city code. Mayor Figueroa requested a briefing for council members so they could better understand "what the city has done and what we haven't done and what we can do or if you need any help from the council." The transcript records no formal enforcement action taken during the meeting; council direction was to have staff report back rather than to adopt immediate new enforcement measures.
The speakers named a specific property owner (recorded as Gerald Lucas in the transcript) and gave dates and details of prior contacts with code enforcement and the court system. City staff did not offer a detailed rebuttal during public comment; the mayor later asked staff for a follow‑up report to be provided to council.
