By Katy Ballard
There are many concerning zoning changes that Islanders should be paying attention to. Let’s start with the proposed zoning for drug rehab and psychiatric hospitals. Whether you’re for or against the proposed Thunderbird Drug Treatment Center at the former Vashon Community Care (VCC) building, can we all agree that the truth matters?
It is imperative to have all the facts, so here is some crucial information.
In September 2022, the Seattle Indian Health Board (SIHB) contacted King County’s permitting office to inquire about opening a drug rehab facility. They were told that the VCC building was not zoned for this use. But the SIHB created a shell company and bought the building anyway.
They spent $11 million dollars on a building they knew they could not get a permit for. The building’s zoning would have to change before they could open. Also, in the transaction paperwork, the building was assessed at $5.2 million, but SIHB purchased it for $11 million. Why was that? We don’t know.
In 2023 interviews, the SIHB claimed the Center would open in early 2025. But without permits in place, the SIHB was misleading our community into believing this was a done deal.
On April 4th 2024, KC Council members Teresa Mosqueda, Sarah Perry, Girmay Zahilay, and Reagan Dunn held a public meeting on Vashon to discuss the once-a-decade Comprehensive Plan update process. Two Islanders who asked about the proposed Thunderbird Center were told that the subject was not up for discussion, as the Center was not part of Comprehensive Plan considerations.
But the SIHB is part of the Comprehensive Plan, and Vashon is a target of a related zoning change.
On May 14, 2024, a new Comprehensive Plan “Emergency Housing” zoning amendment was released that “Allows this use as a permitted use in the R-12 to R-48 zone with development conditions limited to SIC Industries 8063-Psychiatric Hospitals and 8069-Specialty Hospitals, Except Psychiatric.”
This means that any residential property or lot zoned with certain acreage on Vashon or in Unincorporated KC can be turned into a drug rehab [SIC 8069] or psychiatric hospital (SIC 8063].
On June 4th, 2024, KC Council member Mosqueda sent an email to Islanders who opposed the drug rehab, writing, “The amendment … is not specific to any site or jurisdiction.” But this doesn’t seem to be true, because the following language is now in the Vashon section of the Comprehensive Plan: “[KC] shall allow the siting of behavioral and mental health services in the Vashon Rural Town including high quality prevention, crisis intervention, mental health, substance abuse disorder, and co-occurring disorder treatment services … that centers culturally informed and inclusive behavioral healthcare.”
“Culturally informed and inclusive behavioral healthcare.” The SIHB uses similar language on their website: “culturally attuned inpatient treatment.”
Land use attorneys Bricklin & Newman LLP, hired by concerned Islanders, asked KC to hold off on their zoning change vote until there was proper public process, as required by Washington State’s Growth Management Act. KC’s public participation code requires that the public receive notice of proposed Comprehensive Plan amendments and be afforded a meaningful opportunity to comment these proposals, including public meetings. KC is also required to provide 30 days’ notice of public hearings on proposed amendments.
On June 5, 2024, all KC Council members – except Reagan Dunn – disregarded the Growth Management Act and pushed the zoning change forward anyway.
We all agree that people with addictions need help, but Vashon is not an appropriate location for a rehab center. We are an isolated Island with not enough ferries, water, workers, healthcare, emergency services, elder care, or low-income housing.
Here is another important example of how SIHB is misleading the public: At the March 21, 2024 VMCC meeting, SIHB claimed to have “never had a violent crime in 35 years” at the former Thunderbird Center. Past online patient reviews (from Yelp, Google, and Indeed) indicate otherwise. Public records (2010-2012) show that the former Thunderbird Center had 4 or more emergency calls most months, including transports to hospitals.
I also interviewed four drug addiction experts, including two who work at a Yakima Indian Reservation addiction center. All agreed that Vashon is a poorly situated location for this facility. They are concerned for patients who may need a nearby hospital for life-saving care, which is common. I was told that all rehab facilities experience violent incidents, but these incidents are rarely reported to the police. Treatment facilities are not allowed to physically or medically restrain patients. Most rehabilitation facilities open the door and let violent patients out.
These experts also informed me that patients often have “one last high before checking into rehab.” An online review from a former Thunderbird employee said, “Patients were using drugs on the property, sneaking out and coming back in, no support from the supervisor.” In another review, an employee said, “Several overdoses.” Can we expect more, not less, drug abuse on Vashon?
Islanders are being misled and ignored. The rehab facility is not a done deal. No matter where you align on this issue, can we please agree that the truth matters? Residents deserve the truth and a voice.
The final vote on this zoning is in December. For those who want to help stop the proposed zoning, a grassroots non-profit has been formed called Good Neighbor Vashon: GoodNeighborVashon.Org. You can also donate to our legal fund – anonymously, if preferred: DonateVashon.Org.
[Note: The online version of this article contains links to relevant source documents. Unless otherwise stated, information in this article was obtained from publicly available sources, and all information reported has been independently confirmed by Vashon Loop editorial staff.]
