.com
NEWS | PAEC construction under budget, still not fully funded [3]
VOL. 18, NO. 17
MIRROR
F E D E R A L WAY
DIVISION OF SOUND PUBLISHING
OPINION | Johnson: A poem in honor of poetry, STD months [6] Roegner: First quarter humor in politics [4] CRIME | Man steals surveillance cameras from church [8] COMMUNITY | Local livens up Starbucks with music, message [10]
SPORTS | Jefferson hires new FRIDAY, APRIL 22, 2016 | 75¢ basketball coach [18]
SENIOR | Resource guide [13-16]
City officials address homeless encampment initiative BY RAECHEL DAWSON rdawson@fedwaymirror.com
C
ity officials answered hard questions about their new homeless encampment initiative at a Federal Way City Council meeting on Tuesday. One of those questions: Where will homeless people go once the camps are closed? It was asked by Councilwoman Susan Honda after Federal Way Police Department Deputy Chief Stephen Neal, who’s heading the initiative, and Community Services Manager Jeff Watson gave a presentation
A homeless encampment photographed during a March mayor’s tour of five such areas. City officials have repeatedly cited the condition of the camps as the reason action needs to be taken. Photo courtesy of the city of Federal Way
on the 18 homeless encampments in Federal Way, the problems they have posed
and what the city is going to do to fix the situation. In answering Honda’s
question, Watson at first said people would be connected to the appropriate resources,
such as Catholic Community services, the YWCA or the Multi-Service Center. Then he admitted the harsh reality. “What I’ve had to tell people that have called me and said, ‘I’m homeless, can you help me?’” Watson said, “is, I put them in touch with organizations like the ones that I’ve just listed, but I’ve also very candidly told them, ‘Look, I have to tell you that the chance of you getting shelter is very slim’ because, as I think it’s been acknowledged this evening, there is insufficient housing, there is insufficient shelter.” Watson lamented that the
homelessness crisis is not just in Federal Way or South King County but across the nation as a whole. He said the way systems are set up to care for these individuals is a matter of getting on a list and facilitating a fair and equitable process so “those who may be homeless in one part of the county don’t have a better chance than others.” While that may be so, the city’s approach to dispelling homeless encampments in Federal Way still begs the question: Where will they go if the organizations the city is referring them to cannot [ more CAMPS, page 17 ]
Mayor, city ‘excited’ by sole Town Center hotel site bid
An artist’s conception of Federal Way’s downtown, with the PAEC at the left and the proposed hotel to the right of that. In the foreground is the northern edge of Town Square Park. Courtesy of the city of Federal Way BY RAECHEL DAWSON rdawson@fedwaymirror.com
Talia Walton, a former Federal Way Eagle and Washington Husky standout, was selected in the 2016 WNBA Draft by the Los Angeles Sparks in the third round. Photo courtesy of the University of Washington
Federal Way alum drafted into WNBA BY JASON LUDWIG editor@fedwaymirror.com
Talia Walton, a former Federal Way High School and University of Washington basketball standout, was drafted Thursday by the Los Angeles Sparks in the
2016 WNBA Draft. “Talia is a very good fit with our team,” said Sparks head coach Brian Agler. “She is extremely versatile and a great three-point shooter. She handles and passes the ball well, is a great defender and has great size for a perimeter player.” Walton was selected 29th overall by the Sparks with the
fifth pick of the third round. The WNBA draft has three rounds with 12 picks in each round. Walton, a 6-2 forward, is the third player in the history of University of Washington’s women’s basketball program to be selected in the draft. She is the school’s all-time leader [ more WALTON, page 25 ]
Cadius Partners Limited with Gustin Property Group are the sole developers interested in building a hotel near the future Performing Arts and Event Center. Working with Mosaic Architecture, the firms proposed the construction of a 130room “upper-mid-scale to upper scale hotel” on 1.8 acres at 2141 S. 314th St. in Federal Way. “I think the region is exploding with growth, so I think there are a number of opportunities out there, but we’ve been looking and working with partners in the region to submit applications,” said Mayor
Jim Ferrell in a phone interview when asked for his thoughts on why only one proposal was submitted. “And we’re really excited with what we’ve seen here with the Cadius project, the Cadius proposal.” Cadius is based in Bozeman, Montana; Gustin is based in Albuquerque, New Mexico; and Mosaic Architecture is based in Helena, Montana. The proposal illustrates a vision similar to the city’s and includes a grand staircase connecting the lower-level Town Square Park and the Federal Way Transit Center to the hotel and performing arts center. “The connectivity of the properties in Town
Center is absolutely essential,” Ferrell said about the staircase. The properties are currently divided by a 20-foot wall. The proposal states the hotel’s total square footage will reach 75,000 square feet of hotel and will be in an “L” or “V” shape, which would provide “maximum views toward Mt. Rainier.” There may also be a four-story tower (59 feet) that could be topped with a penthouse/lounge area that would bring the total height to 68-70 feet. According to city documents, the city’s zoning allows a hotel [ more HOTEL, page 17]