The fate of Nickelsville. The port’s position.
I spoke with Port of Seattle Seaport and Realestate Media Officer Peter McGraw this afternoon to get a better understanding of the port’s relationship with Nicklesville.
He said there were no conditions for them staying there. From the start, he said that “we’ve made made it clear that they’re there illegally.”
“The port doesn’t have any authority to provide services for the homeless,” he said.
“We do want to be humane,” he added. Since July 23, “we gave them time to find property, or an entity to deal with them.”
“I think that’s compassion.”
“We’ve been fair, we’ve been compassionate, and we’ve given them a deadline.”
He said “there are several church organizations that are willing to take them,” but it is McGraw’s understanding they have been unwilling to accept.
They won’t know how much it will cost to repair the damage to the park until the residents of Nicklesville leave.
“We will have that number and we won’t be shy about sharing it.”
“By state law, it’s illegal for us to allow them to be there. There are no conditions for us to continue with this situation. We have to enforce a deadline, and enforce the law.”