Starting with the decision of Tent City 4 and the Northshore United Church of Christ to locate on the church property on NE 168th Avenue, Woodinville was playing a hand of cards dealt to it by other parties. Woodinville was more than likely going to receive Tent City 4 on Aug. 14 regardless of whether the City said yes or no, whether the City Council took any action and without benefit of a properly conditioned permit. The only question was “where”? It could either be on a marginal, difficult-to-manage site close to schools, distant from services, in a low-density residential neighborhood with poor bus options, or it could be located on a roomy, easy to manage site that was in a centrally located commercial area that was easy to serve and much closer to needed services, bus lines and jobs.

With the neighborhood site lacking a good comparison from the previous locations of tent cities elsewhere, the City Council decided to take bold and decisive action to make its undeveloped park property available. In doing so, it saved the neighborhood from a difficult and painful permitting process and all of Woodinville from a controversial period of residency.

The City Council made Tent City 4, SHARE/WHEEL and the Northshore United Church of Christ an offer they could refuse, but they didn’t.

In receiving acceptance from these parties, the City gained control of the permitting process and received acceptance of agreement terms and conditions that will serve as a surrogate for a temporary use permit until that process is complete.

The City Council was deeply concerned about the absence of due process and developed this option to gain control. You can participate in that permit process as parties of record by contacting the Community Development Department. The parties have even accepted terms to work on the next siting process sooner in order to help avoid the surprise to the next host community.

Every tent city has neighbors. In this case, it is nearby businesses. Those businesses along the Little Bear Creek Parkway will appreciate your patronage.

The City participates in the long-term homelessness solution through its membership in ARCH, the nationally acclaimed A Regional Coalition for Housing, by making investments in transitional housing and by ARCH participating in the Committee to End Homelessness. Much more remains to be done.

In the meantime, there is a short-term problem today that was most likely coming to Woodinville regardless of whether people wanted it ,and the Council moved decisively to take control of the situation.

In doing so, it neither buys into SHARE/WHEEL or the tent city concept nor does it reject them. It just dealt with the realities presented to it and developed a creative solution.

Now that it is here, I hope the community will plug into the church coalition that Northshore United Church of Christ has put together to support the camp or check into opportunities on the City Web site (http://www.ci. woodinville.wa.us/)to sponsor the cost of things such as water, electricity or sewer.