Free housing for a felon? Kirkland, WA neighbors concerned over homeless hotel plans
Kirkland neighbors concerned over public safety with planned homeless hotel
Kirkland neighbors living near a planned homeless hotel are concerned after learning a felon with 57 prior arrest warrants and multiple convictions was living in a similar complex in Bellevue.
KIRKLAND, Wash. - A controversial plan to house the homeless in an old Kirkland motel has sparked debate among local residents.
The backstory:
King County announced the purchase of the La Quinta Inn in 2022, located on Northup Way in the Houghton neighborhood, right on the border with Bellevue.
Plymouth Housing is set to operate the facility when it opens later this year. The nonprofit organization already operates a similar housing development in the Eastgate neighborhood called the Plymouth Crossing Apartments.
However, neighbors in Kirkland raised safety concerns about the planned housing, citing an increase in crime and drug use around the Bellevue apartment complex.
By the numbers:
Police calls for service at Plymouth Crossing have increased dramatically, from five in the second half of 2023, to 148 in 2024. Within a half-mile radius of the building, police calls increased from 609 to 1,082.
Kirkland residents brought up that the La Quinta is near a number of schools, fearing it will lead to a rise in car prowlings and burglaries.
Plymouth Housing says they are committed to being a good neighbor, but insists on respecting tenant privacy and not requiring drug treatment.
Dig deeper:
There's also the case of Richard Julius, a tenant with a long criminal history of 57 prior warrants, arrested for a whole slew of new crimes.
He currently sits in King County Jail, where he's been since February 21. Before that, he was at Plymouth Crossing, allegedly committing multiple car thefts, stealing people's IDs, and attempting to elude pursuing police vehicles.
"That happened in the middle of the day around noon when he fled at high speed from marked patrol units. After being confronted at a storage unit, he went left of center and it was noted multiple civilians and vehicles had to swerve out of the way to avoid a head-on collision," said Bellevue Police Detective Jeff Christiansen, describing a pursuit that allegedly involved Julius.
Julius is accused of ramming multiple patrol cars in an attempt to escape police. Bellevue PD also said they tied him to multiple stolen vehicles recovered in the parking lot of his apartment complex, even though Section 18 of his lease agreement says "tenants shall not engage in or permit unlawful activities."
In the case of Richard Julius, Plymouth Housing sent the following statement:
"At Plymouth, we believe that everyone deserves a place to heal and that people are capable of change. If a current resident were to become involved in the criminal justice system, staff would engage with them to address potential underlying causes of the behavior as best they can. Plymouth and residents both have rights and responsibilities that must be respected. Any decisions on tenancy would involve consideration of building safety and what is permissible under the law."
A spokesperson for the Houghton Neighborhood Association wrote:
"A tenant who has 57 warrants issued is shocking and unacceptable. That should be front page news. …While I fully understand that Plymouth wants the best environment for their residents, this cannot play out in the vicinity of schools, daycares and businesses when it comes to individuals with mental or drug challenges. Too many residents and business owners have been hurt by problems around such facilities."
With Julius' trial coming up, Plymouth Housing says there has to be a preponderance of evidence to evict a tenant, not a conviction. When asked if he will be evicted, a spokesperson for the nonprofit said they do not comment on individual resident circumstances.
The Source: Information in this story came from Plymouth Housing, the Houghton Neighborhood Association, Bellevue Police, the King County Prosecuting Attorney's Office and FOX 13 Seattle reporting.
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