SEATTLE — West Seattle residents living near Southwest Genesee Street and 35th Avenue Southwest along the West Seattle Bridge are raising concerns over an abandoned, fenced property owned by Seattle City Light that has been plagued by accumulated trash and open-air drug use.
Seattle City Light also owns the property where Peco’s BBQ Pit used to be, a restaurant that closed down a while back. SW Genesee Street was a part of the Avalon Light Rail Station project; however, that was replaced by the Alaska Junction Project planned for 2035.
Michelle Trullson, a resident on Southwest Genesee Street, expressed concern regarding the blighted lot.
“And to have this here, it’s just an eyesore, and who is it going to attract?” Trullson said.
Neighbors report that the area attracts illicit activity and debris. Paul, who lives on Southwest Genesee Street, noted the safety issues created by the lot.
“It’s been a hangout for people doing drugs,” Paul said. He added that the conditions impact the surrounding area. “If you’re going to have a neighborhood that’s people, children, family-friendly, that’s not it.”
Concerned neighbor Brandon Herman detailed the specific waste found on the lot.
“Trash, dog poop, needles, human waste,” Herman said.
He added that open-air drug use has made local parents uneasy. “They don’t feel safe letting their kids play in the neighborhood anymore. They don’t feel safe letting their kids walk to school or the bus because there is such an increase in open-air drug use,” Herman said.
Frustrated by the ongoing conditions, Herman and other community members obtained permission from Seattle City Light to clean the area themselves.
“And I kind of took it upon myself to start taking care of it along with some of the other neighbors,” Herman said. Reflecting on having to clean city-owned land, Herman added, “It was frustrating. I think now, I’ve normalized it.”
Seattle City Light sent crews to remove the trash collected by the residents on Tuesday. A spokesperson for Seattle City Light stated that the utility takes community concerns seriously.
Read the full statement from Seattle City Light below:
“Seattle City Light owns three parcels at 35th Avenue Southwest and Southwest Genesee Street, which formerly housed a substation. City Light has held this property for the public’s benefit while Sound Transit evaluated whether it was needed for the West Seattle Link light rail extension.
In the past few weeks, we learned Sound Transit will not need it, and we are actively working to lease the parcel that houses the vacant restaurant with the intent to eventually sell the land in coordination with community stakeholders. The paved parcel is leased to a parking vendor that maintains the site, and the remaining parcel is completely fenced, with vegetation maintained by a local volunteer who has created a pollinator garden.
We take neighbors’ concerns seriously and have worked in good faith to address them. When we learned of illegal dumping in December, crews removed the debris the next day and brought in a vendor to fence the property to prevent similar activity.
Our mobile patrol checks this property three times a day, every day, to make sure it is secure. Staff were on site today and found the property clean and secure. The trash neighbors may have seen along the alley is on the nearby 7-Eleven property, which Seattle City Light does not own.
We are grateful to our neighbors who deeply care about their community, and we will keep working with them as this property transitions and finds new purpose."
Paul urged the utility to take responsibility for the land. “Take the fence down, clean it up, turn it into something nice. You own it, take care of it.”
Neighbors plan to conduct another cleanup of the property within the next couple of months.