Seattle sued over lack of environmental review for sober center move

SEATTLE — The immediate future of King County’s Sobering Center is uncertain after a lawsuit has been filed in an attempt to require the City of Seattle to conduct an environmental review of its new Georgetown location. Also, there’s been a construction delay that could mean Seattle and King County will have to go without a sobering center for a while.

Since 1998, King County has operated the Dutch Schisler Sobering Center in the 1900 block of Boren Avenue in downtown Seattle as a place where clients can sober up after overdoing it with drugs and/or alcohol.

Last year, the building’s owner, the Community Psychiatric Center sold the building with a promise it would purchase a new building for the sobering center.

According to court documents, the CPC bought the building that once housed the Korean Central Baptist Church in Georgetown. Neighbors found out about the purchase and relocation through news reports in January.

In late February, King County held informational meetings about the move, but neighbors say they were not part of the process and were told it was a done deal.

Members of the Georgetown Neighbor Alliance filed a land use petition and complaint in King County Superior Court last week challenging the City of Seattle’s approval of a construction permit claiming the City did not conduct an environmental review.

The claim alleges the City issued the permit without meeting the requirements under SEPA, the State Environmental Policy Act. The Alliance believes the neighborhood impact of moving a Sobering Center into the building that housed the Korean Central Baptist Church for four decades is a dramatic change of use.

“If you're changing it from an art shop to a bakery, maybe you can get away with it, it’s not a big change,” says attorney David Bricklin, representing the Alliance. “But when you change it from a church to a sobering center-- that's way too big of a change and that triggers environmental review requirements."

“There are a lot of bars and restaurants here,” says Ruth Lockwood, who is one of eight community members that are involved in the lawsuit.

She says Georgetown has 1,500 residents, no supermarket and no clinics.

“You are dumping a bunch of people with no resources, no transportation, into a neighborhood that is filled with bars,” says Lockwood.

“It’s the right thing in the wrong place,” says John Bennett, who owns 24 buildings in Georgetown. “It’s a 'NIMFY' thing – not in my front yard. Because that's where they are putting it, they are putting it in our front yard.”

Now more bad news for the county: In a statement to KOMO News, the head of King County Department of Community and Human Services says construction at the Georgetown location will not be completed in time for the planned July 1 move-in date.

“We remain focused on ensuring these life-saving services continue to benefit our community, and we are now working to understand the impacts of this latest development,” says Director Leo Flor.

The spokesman for Seattle City Attorney Pete Holmes says his office is still reviewing the lawsuit and is reserving comment.