‘Eco blocks’ on Seattle streets are thwarting more than homeless encampments

SEATTLE — Eco blocks are popping up throughout some Seattle neighborhoods. The difficulty is most of them are unlawful.

Those that admit to placing up the ecology blocks say they’re simply attempting to guard their companies. The blocks do seem like discouraging homeless encampments.

However Seattle’s Division of Transportation confirms anybody who installs the blocks is breaking the regulation.

The eco blocks are on one aspect of eighth Avenue Northwest. Whenever you cross the road, you will note what they’re meant to forestall.

It’s making for an uneasy time on this a part of Ballard.

We watched a person stroll proper previous the homeless encampment alongside eighth Avenue Northwest, staying on the street moderately than attempt to navigate the sidewalk taken over by those that are camped right here.

“I’m not joyful as a result of hazard-wise, visitors as effectively, don’t know who these individuals are and probably they could possibly be doing one thing,” he mentioned. “That’s why I don’t come down this manner fairly often.”

And he did discover the eco blocks throughout the road.

“I approve,” mentioned the person who declined to offer his title. That, regardless that they’re unlawful.

“Properly, that’s not my drawback,” he mentioned, chuckling. “It’s their property homeowners and that. But it surely’s protecting them off so walkers can get by.”

However 2.5 miles away in Seattle’s Magnolia neighborhood, the concrete blocks are an obstacle to a long-haul trucker right here to ship metal pipes to a building web site.

“I needed to cease, flip round, needed to again the truck up, go up this hill proper right here, flip round, pull out, come again. These are all blocking,” mentioned Johnathon Brooner of Stockton, CA. “They’re blocking my entire path.”

The message on a number of of the blocks signifies why they’re right here, too.

“Actually, it’s sort of an eyesore,” mentioned Daniel Marshall. “On the identical time, it’s simply there.”

These residing on this encampment say they’re effectively conscious of why the blocks are in place.

“And I don’t suppose that it’s precisely honest,” mentioned Marshall, who has been homeless for a decade. “I believe they need to make a delegated space for folks. There’s loads of house and property throughout Seattle.”

That is how somebody is utilizing the blocks on this nook, turning them right into a shelter.

SDOT says after they discover out about these blocks, they attempt to discover out who put them in. Then they ship a warning. In the event that they aren’t eliminated, violators may face 1000’s of {dollars} in fines.

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