The city is working to expand its Chronic Nuisance Ordinance that can require problem properties and businesses to enter into an agreement with City Hall to address public safety concerns — or risk being shut down.
The Seattle City Council’s public safety committee Tuesday was scheduled to hear details of the proposed update that would open the way for liquor violations to be included among criminal offenses that can be included in the determination for a property.
A much larger change would expand potential violations to the area around a problem property, allowing officials to pursue a chronic nuisance designation if a violation involved an employee or customer of the property in a public safety incident outside the establishment.
Officials says the chronic nuisance ordinance has only been utilized in the city 17 times since it was adopted in 2009 including seven motels, five nightclubs, three private residences, one apartment building, and one commercial event space.
A property may be declared a chronic nuisance after three or more nuisance activities are documented in a 60-day period, OR seven or more occur in any 12-month period. Once identified, the property becomes subject to a “corrections agreement.” Civil fines of $500 per day and a one-time penalty of $25,000 may be imposed if property owners don’t abide by the agreement.
Officials say expanding the geographic area that property’s can be held responsible for is hoped to help address “recent gun violence at or near nightclubs and other nightlife venues.”
The city says it has worked with stakeholders including the Washington Nightlife & Music Association, approximately 40 nightlife owners, Business Improvement Areas, and the management of the area’s pro sports stadiums in shaping the proposed expansion.
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This should also apply to failed Housing First properties that have become magnets for public drug use, drug dealing and crime.
Seems like it could be, if it’s been applied to apartment buildings in the past. Seems like many would meet the criteria.
If this law has only been used 17 times in 15 years, this seems like another case of failing to enforce the laws that already exist.