County removes squatters from new park, but cleanup still remains

SULTAN — Two remaining squatters were removed from a stretch of land slated for a new county park along the Skykomish River last week, but cleanup of the once junk-piled spot just south of Sultan and U.S. 2 could be delayed.

Snohomish County had hoped to finish the work needed to open a camping area with river access this summer. Now, Steelhead County Park is on the back burner.

Resources have been diverted to Oso and Darrington in the aftermath of the March 22 mudslide, said County Parks Director Tom Teigen. He expects crews to work on environmental cleanup for Steelhead County Park as time allows.

Once cleanup is complete, Teigen said, it won’t take long before the park is open to campers. People can access the area along the river now, but camping is not allowed.

The county would like to purchase three more properties to complete the park. It has been buying up land there for some 20 years. In 2007, $600,000 was dedicated to buy up about 45 properties in the Skyview Tracts subdivision. Tax collection through the county Conservation Futures Program paid for the purchases.

The spot has long been a problem for the city of Sultan and Snohomish County.

In 2006, the county targeted the area during an aggressive crackdown on illegal junkyards. Officials said lots littered with scrap vehicles were safety and environmental hazards. The county has since removed hundreds of tons of junk from that area, though some remains.

Meanwhile, homeless people lived in shantytowns along the river.

“We happen to be a stop off for the ‘gypsy’ travelers,” said Sultan Mayor Carolyn Eslick, who is running for county executive. “It was a real issue.”

Eslick said drugs and alcohol use ran rampant. Inhabitants spilled into the city’s business district, creating problems for store owners, she said. Frequent fights drained city resources.

When the area flooded, Eslick said, human feces from the campers contaminated the water. Fire and rescue teams had to wade through the waste to help the people there, the mayor said.

“It was gross, gross, gross,” she said.

Because the park property is in the river’s floodway, it is expected to be used seasonally. No permanent structures are planned.

The Snohomish County Sheriff’s Office for several years has been working with the city and local nonprofits to remove the squatters. The plan was to connect people to social services, Eslick said. The campers were told they had to move, sign up for help — or go to jail. Eslick said most took the opportunity, going to substance abuse treatment or getting jobs.

“There were some success stories,” she said.

Earlier this month, the sheriff’s office told the two remaining men on the property they had to go.

“These two fellows had all the chances in the world,” Eslick said.

One man was taken to jail on a warrant, and the other was arrested for trespassing last week, the mayor said.

“Now it’s really crucial that the county gets in there and cleans up the hazardous waste,” Eslick said.

She hopes the county starts developing the property for overnight camping and recreation as soon as possible.

“It’s right on the river, so it’s beautiful,” Eslick said. “It’s absolutely gorgeous. We need to have access for everyone.”

Teigen said several government agencies would need to sign off on the park once cleanup is complete. Opening the park for seasonal camping and fishing, he said, is an important economic driver for Sultan and the Sky Valley.

The county expects to put in fencing and port-a-potties after the cleanup. That should expedite the opening, Teigen said.

“We’d love to get it open as soon as we can,” he said. “There’s a lot of great riverfront there.”

Amy Nile: 425-339-3192; anile@heraldnet.com.

Talk to us

> Give us your news tips.

> Send us a letter to the editor.

> More Herald contact information.

More in Local News

A firefighter stands in silence before a panel bearing the names of L. John Regelbrugge and Kris Regelbrugge during the ten-year remembrance of the Oso landslide on Friday, March 22, 2024, at the Oso Landslide Memorial in Oso, Washington. (Ryan Berry / The Herald)
‘Flood of emotions’ as Oso Landslide Memorial opens on 10th anniversary

Friends, family and first responders held a moment of silence at 10:37 a.m. at the new 2-acre memorial off Highway 530.

Julie Petersen poses for a photo with images of her sister Christina Jefferds and Jefferds’ grand daughter Sanoah Violet Huestis next to a memorial for Sanoah at her home on March 20, 2024 in Arlington, Washington. Peterson wears her sister’s favorite color and one of her bangles. (Annie Barker / The Herald)
‘It just all came down’: An oral history of the Oso mudslide

Ten years later, The Daily Herald spoke with dozens of people — first responders, family, survivors — touched by the deadliest slide in U.S. history.

Victims of the Oso mudslide on March 22, 2014. (Courtesy photos)
Remembering the 43 lives lost in the Oso mudslide

The slide wiped out a neighborhood along Highway 530 in 2014. “Even though you feel like you’re alone in your grief, you’re really not.”

Director Lucia Schmit, right, and Deputy Director Dara Salmon inside the Snohomish County Department of Emergency Management on Friday, March 8, 2024, in Everett, Washington. (Ryan Berry / The Herald)
How Oso slide changed local emergency response ‘on virtually every level’

“In a decade, we have just really, really advanced,” through hard-earned lessons applied to the pandemic, floods and opioids.

Ron and Gail Thompson at their home on Monday, March 4, 2024 in Oso, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
In shadow of scarred Oso hillside, mudslide’s wounds still feel fresh

Locals reflected on living with grief and finding meaning in the wake of a catastrophe “nothing like you can ever imagine” in 2014.

The view of Mountain Loop Mine out the window of a second floor classroom at Fairmount Elementary on Wednesday, Jan. 10, 2024 in Everett, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
County: Everett mining yard violated order to halt work next to school

At least 10 reports accused OMA Construction of violating a stop-work order next to Fairmount Elementary. A judge will hear the case.

Imagine Children's Museum's incoming CEO, Elizabeth "Elee" Wood. (Photo provided by Imagine Children's Museum)
Imagine Children’s Museum in Everett will welcome new CEO in June

Nancy Johnson, who has led Imagine Children’s Museum in Everett for 25 years, will retire in June.

Kelli Littlejohn, who was 11 when her older sister Melissa Lee was murdered, speaks to a group of investigators and deputies to thank them for bringing closure to her family after over 30 years on Thursday, March 28, 2024, at Snohomish County Superior Court in Everett, Washington. (Ryan Berry / The Herald)
‘She can rest in peace’: Jury convicts Bothell man in 1993 killing

Even after police arrested Alan Dean in 2020, it was unclear if he would stand trial. He was convicted Thursday in the murder of Melissa Lee, 15.

Ariel Garcia, 4, was last seen Wednesday morning in an apartment in the 4800 block of Vesper Dr. (Photo provided by Everett Police)
Everett police searching for missing child, 4

Ariel Garcia was last seen Wednesday at an apartment in the 4800 block of Vesper Drive. The child was missing under “suspicious circumstances.”

The rezoned property, seen here from the Hillside Vista luxury development, is surrounded on two sides by modern neighborhoods Monday, March 25, 2024, in Lake Stevens, Washington. (Ryan Berry / The Herald)
Despite petition, Lake Stevens OKs rezone for new 96-home development

The change faced resistance from some residents, who worried about the effects of more density in the neighborhood.

Rep. Suzan DelBene, left, introduces Xichitl Torres Small, center, Undersecretary for Rural Development with the U.S. Department of Agriculture during a talk at Thomas Family Farms on Monday, April 3, 2023, in Snohomish, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Under new federal program, Washingtonians can file taxes for free

At a press conference Wednesday, U.S. Rep. Suzan DelBene called the Direct File program safe, easy and secure.

Former Snohomish County sheriff’s deputy Jeremie Zeller appears in court for sentencing on multiple counts of misdemeanor theft Wednesday, March 27, 2024, at Snohomish County Superior Court in Everett, Washington. (Ryan Berry / The Herald)
Ex-sheriff’s deputy sentenced to 1 week of jail time for hardware theft

Jeremie Zeller, 47, stole merchandise from Home Depot in south Everett, where he worked overtime as a security guard.

Support local journalism

If you value local news, make a gift now to support the trusted journalism you get in The Daily Herald. Donations processed in this system are not tax deductible.