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Sep. 24, 2007 at 7:10am

Downtown nuisance response at tipping point

Most folks in Tacoma know of Laura Hanan's perennial fight to keep downtown a viable place for business and residents. She even squelched some of her own diligence snapping photos of undesirable local activity when she received personal threats. After emailing out info about some strange activity this weekend it seems more people are finally taking notice. From Laura's email:

There are at least 50 underage kids loitering, skateboarding, yelling, wrestling, and throwing frisbees in the parking lot and on the sidewalk where Brick City is located. I just watched two kids pull signs off of private property to use for skateboard ramps. There is absolutely no supervision of these kids and the area restaurant/bar patrons can't even walk on that side of the street.

The BIA nor the police responded immediately to calls about this activity until there was an injury involving one of the youth. Hanan goes on to describe that after this response the kids continued to loiter and even throw bricks at the nearby Drake's building which she says is being renovated to make viable for leasing.

Rose Calvin, owner of the nearby Learning Sprout, complains about the lack of City response saying she and local business owners are being "considered a nuisance" themselves and that "there is no other explanation for the deaf ear all the words full of facts have fallen on!"

Local pub owner Patrick Coyne writes, "This stuff is going to kill my business and also every business in the vicinity. How would you feel if you came to Downtown Tacoma for Dinner a few drinks, go and enjoy a show in the Theatre and you have to deal with this crap?" He goes on to add that someone needs to step up to the plate to avoid this area again becoming a bunch of vacant buildings with thugs ruling the roost.

Kris Blondin even sarcastically suggests that local leaders "Draw straws, play rock, paper, scissors or something," to start the ball rolling on a solution. Patricia Lecy-Davis appears to be the first to step up by offering to organize a forum to discuss among local residents, business owners and City leaders. She admits that past forums revealed that youth in the area didn't pose any "conflict of use" but that seems to have changed. She's even talked with the World Vision folks that run the local youth club with talk of even possibly moving to another location.

Does urging World Vision's youth programs to leave downtown solve the problem? Should the City of Tacoma implement clearer nuisance guidelines with real consequences for downtown? How can increased activity due to an increasingly successful downtown mesh with the needs and safety of local businesses and residents?

I've setup an online forum to help facilitate discussion so stakeholders that can't make any particular meeting can still participate and lend their ideas to help. Link to the forum »

posted by Kevin under downtown, merchants, nuisance behavior, ordinance, tacoma