Neighbors around Sandel Park in Greenwood say a cluster of RVs lining the park has gone from a nuisance to a real quality-of-life problem in recent months, with some vehicles linked to open drug use and suspected dealing. Parents and longtime residents point to trashed restrooms and people found passed out on the grass, scenes that have led to multiple 911 calls. Several families say they now reroute their daily walks and are steering kids away from the playground while they wait for the situation to change.
City response and outreach
In a statement to KOMO News, the deputy communications director for Mayor Katie Wilson said the Human Services Department outreach team and the Unified Care Team have made 18 visits to Sandel Park since Feb. 1. According to the city, those visits have resulted in two people being referred to shelter, with one person awaiting a tiny-house referral. Officials say the Unified Care Team has also been doing regular debris clearing and coordinating with Parking Enforcement to address vehicles that violate the 72-hour on-street parking rule.
How parking rules and outreach overlap
Seattle’s code bars a vehicle from staying on the same block for more than 72 consecutive hours, and Parking Enforcement can ticket or tag vehicles under that ordinance. The Unified Care Team is described as a cross-department effort focused on outreach, sanitation and public-safety risks, while trying to connect people to shelter and services. Seattle’s 72-hour parking rules and the city’s outreach work are central pieces of that strategy. Mayor Katie Wilson’s office has said that expanding shelter options is key to reducing pressure from encampments in parks and other public spaces.
Neighbors want enforcement, not just outreach
Many Greenwood neighbors say they support outreach, shelter and treatment for people living in vehicles, but argue that alleged drug dealing and suspected on-site drug manufacturing around Sandel Park demand a much quicker, more hard-edged response. Residents told KOMO News that the current tag-and-move system often scatters RVs for a short period, only for some to roll back in after a few weeks. One neighbor said it can take “three to six weeks” before a familiar vehicle returns to the same stretch of street. A Greenwood mother told the station she has already changed her family’s walking routes because of the activity around the park. KOMO News reported the neighborhood accounts.
What’s next for Sandel Park
City officials say they are continuing to lean on outreach and clearer pathways into shelter, even as neighbors call for more targeted enforcement to stop dealing and other suspected dangerous activity around the park. The mayor’s office has directed city teams to recommend adjustments to outreach and clearance practices while also accelerating efforts to expand shelter capacity. Seattle Human Services data, city leaders note, show how limited that shelter space still is. Neighbors say they plan to keep pressing officials for a clearer timeline and an approach that pairs enforcement with housing and treatment so families feel comfortable returning to Sandel Park. Mayor Katie Wilson’s office and Seattle Human Services provide more detail on city outreach and shelter efforts.
