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Mon. September 24, 2007, 07:10am PDT

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 »

Comments (18) | To Top

9/24/2007 @ 11:06am

Tacoma has a huge void in its policy to regulate either noise or out of control behavior on the street which is occuring downtown.

On weekend nights, parts of Pacific Avenue is practically impassible due to the street activity which makes it very hard for anyone to walk from Broadway to Pacific Avenue essentially killing off the would be restaurant visitors. Why have a Link station there if the walkway to the restaurants is essentially cut off?

This void in policy has caused the situation to get out of control many of times. The police cal be called but can't do anything.

Yet, the mayor has stated that Tacoma does not even have a noise ordiance. However, the issue is in a council committee based primarily on the issues on 6th Avenue. Here's the opportunity to make sure downtown issues are addressed as well.

Tacoma needs to enact a reasonable ordinance to address the problems here that other cities have such as noise and patrons of nightclubs as other cities have.

As for meetings, there have been literally dozens and dozens of them with every conceivable "stakeholder" and in the end they have not solved the problem.

With an ordinance that applies to everyone based on their conduct, there can perhaps be progress made. The city can't force anyone out of downtown. What they can do is stop destructive nuisance behavior.

by Erik B.

9/24/2007 @ 11:14am

"She admits that past forums revealed that youth in the area didn't pose any "conflict of use" but that seems to have changed."

A bit of a clarification here. A past forum indicated that there were no conflict of "legal" uses.

However, there has certainly been a conflict of illegal uses with normal activity in the Theater District as well as uses that should be illegal since as least March 2006 when the New Tacoma Neighborhood held a forum. See the link.

-Erik B.

by New Tacoma Neighborhood Report on Crime and Nuisance Behavior in the Theater District on March 30, 2006

9/24/2007 @ 1:21pm

I remember that at all public security forums attended by Theater District business owners regarding downtown problems in our area that a majority made it abundantly clear that they thought locating Brick City and its self-defined high risk population downtown in an adult restaurant/bar area was inappropriate.

I also remember business owners being chastised by Brick City Officials for not caring about their "vision."

Brick City appears to have tunnel "vision" when it comes to keeping its promises to the community and the Tacoma Police Department, the primary one of which is broken weekly - that hoards of kids would not loiter for hours out on the street, the sidewalk, and the parking lot causing problems and loss of business for other merchants.

by Laura Hanan

9/24/2007 @ 2:03pm

If you have ever wanted to be a fly on the wall at a teen nightclub, now is your chance. The Brick CITY Project is taking the mystery out of the underage club by inviting parents, businesses, leaders, and other interested adults to an Open House. As what the News Tribune called, “a club with a conscience,” mentors and youth who are interested in making a difference in their own community run the Brick CITY Project. Indeed, the “CITY” stands for Cultural Influence of Today’s Youth. World Vision utilizes the Brick CITY Project to reach youth and connect them leadership opportunities and resources. Come on OCTOBER 5TH from 9PM to 11PM to get the Brick CITY experience, ask questions, take a tour, and witness how young people are choosing to make a difference in their city.

754 Pacific Avenue
Tacoma, WA 98402

by Deanna Neidlinger

9/24/2007 @ 3:54pm

We are more interested in what goes on OUTSIDE the club, after the young people choose to make a difference in our city. They are making a difference alright...

by Kris

9/24/2007 @ 6:03pm

"AMEN" to that truth, Kris---the time has come -or has it passed ?

by Dale

9/24/2007 @ 6:53pm

Here is the Tacoma city law on the matter which might be helpful in analyzing the issue:

8.12.060 Public disturbance noises

It is unlawful for any person to cause, or for any person in possession of property to allow to originate from the property, sound that is a public disturbance noise.

D. The creation of frequent, repetitive or contiuous sounds which emenate from any building... which reasonably interferes with the pease, comfort and repose of the owners or possessors of real property, suhc as sounds from audio equipment, musical instruments, band sessions, or social gatherings.
F. Sound from audio equipment, such as tape players, radios, and compact disc players, operated at a volume so as to be audible greater than 50 feet from the source...

....

The code then lists a number of sounds that are banned.

8.12.065 indictates that violation of the code is a misdemeanorpunishable by up to 90 days in jailor a fine of $1000.

The punishment for the first conviction is $500, of which $250 is suspended or deferred.

-Erik B.

by Tacoma Municipal Code 8.12.060

9/25/2007 @ 7:53am

Your pansy, coward council members won't take a stand against nonprofit organizations profiting on drug users, rehab centers, nuisance problems or other noise related problems near residential districts, why do you think they'll do something now? Neighbors who actually pay taxes and don't benefit from your 10 year tax abatement scam can't get a council member to call or write them back, why do you think it will happen for tax paying residents downtown? Stop treating the council with kid gloves and being their friend so as not to hurt their feelings, NY got cleaned up, Tacoma can do the same.

by Marco

9/25/2007 @ 8:21am

"...nonprofit organizations profiting on drug users, rehab centers, nuisance problems..."

"Profiting"? Really?? Come on, Marco...a little extreme, don't you think? If that's what you truly believe, go to the open house in 2 weeks and form an educated opinion.

And Kris - at least there are people working downtown that are willing to try and help those kids in need...and I'm sure they would love your support by volunteering.

People - POSITIVE solutions. The fighting and bickering and finger-pointing is just getting old.

by JC - Concerned Reader

9/25/2007 @ 11:49am

Hey JC - Why does this issue fall on such deaf ears? I don't have an issue with what WV and Brick City trying to provide for our troubled youth. My hat goes off to them. AGAIN, let me repeat myself, they are not taking responsibility for what is happening OUTSIDE their venue because of their events and your asking the rest of us have to come up with the solution? We have businesses to run and we all take responsibilty for the neighborhood. And why would I volunteer for an organization that clearly has no respect for my livelyhood.

9/25/2007 @ 12:55pm

would you rather have these at risk youths catch a glimpse of a positive adult role-model in a working environment, or relegate all these kids to the eastside so you can have your peacful neighborhood. I don't know any other major urban area where there is not a lot of foot traffic sometimes blocking streets. Increased foot traffic shows that urban renovation is working for downtown Tacoma. So instead of having reactionary ideas to a very specific problem,a holistic approach which takes in all apects of the problem is necessary. If this was another a bar fight a blind eye would have been turned, but since it involves kids, the very fabric of our society must be falling apart. When we start treating kids like criminals just for being young why would we expect anything different from them.

by Craig

9/25/2007 @ 3:29pm

The business owners in the area have grown tired of the non-profit, extremely powerful and well-financed, savior-of-at-risk-teens-in-the-name-of-Jesus shield.

9/25/2007 @ 3:51pm

Wow!

by JC

9/25/2007 @ 4:22pm

"I don't know any other major urban area where there is not a lot of foot traffic sometimes blocking streets."

Were you down her Saturday night Craig?This is NOT everyday foot traffic. It is disruption. My customers were visibly nervous about walking to the Pantages for a show, while walking through a sea of teenagers, skate boarding and throwing bricks.

This is NOT an issue about World Vision and their goals. It is an issue of inviting youth to a business distict and the meyhem that ensues without accountability. World Vision needs to supervise these kids OUTSIDE their venue, because they are responsible for their behavior.

3/25/2008 @ 4:37am

You should search on google and see how many underage children are in need for a drug rehab. It’s outrageous… so I don’t think it’s so important the fact that they skate or do other things… the biggest problem now is that they have access to dangerous drugs, and they use them too.

by Ada

3/25/2008 @ 2:53pm

Indeed, these kids not only vandalize everything around them but they also do drugs and corrupt others to do so as well. My son likes to skate and I always ask him who is he doing so and I invite his friends at home to meet them. They seem to be good kids. I hope I'm not wrong.

by drug rehab success stories

4/10/2009 @ 7:05pm

Drug abuse can be very stressful for everyone concerned, not just for the person with the addiction. It is very important that this person can get their life back on track so that the rest of the family can get back to normal.
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