After months of grappling with problems arising from a homeless encampment directly in front of their business, a retailer in the Seattle area has taken proactive measures to ensure that the encampment doesn’t come back.
Albert Lee Appliances in Ballard put up concrete barriers and large boulders outside its store to prevent anyone from setting up new tents on the property.
Businesses nearby say they’ve been dealing with break-ins, fires, and constant cleanup due to trash and human waste left in the area. Those KOMO4 interviewed said it is a sad state of affairs that a business had to resort to this.
Concrete blocks and boulders now sit outside where a line of tarps and tents used to be last November.
The Seattle Fire Department responded to a fire at the encampment that had spread to the nearby appliance store. There were no injuries, but the business has since boarded up its windows and placed concrete barriers and boulders outside its premises, several months after the encampment was removed to prevent its recurrence.
See the video report on KOMO4 News
