SPOKANE, Wash. — The city of Spokane is taking steps to clean up the area of Division Street and East Sprague Avenue. Now, city crews have set up new fencing after campers set up last night.
Fencing was installed on Thursday morning along the west side of Division Street at Sprague and on the north side of Sprague on the east side of Division, according to Spokane Communications Director Brian Coddington. There are approximately 150 feet of fencing on each side.
Coddington said the fencing allows pedestrians to pass and use the sidewalks.
Similar fencing was set up on the Browne Street viaduct in an effort to keep people experiencing homelessness from camping in the area. The city called it a “health and safety measure.”
The city said it has been difficult to keep up with trash and other debris in the underpass. Spokane has hired extra litter crews to clean high-traffic areas.
"This was the next evolution of the pilot project that began in the Browne Street viaduct," Coddington told KREM 2. "Like Browne Street, City crews have struggled to keep the Division and Sprague areas clean, healthy, and safe for everyone. Frequency of cleanup increased a couple weeks ago and even the daily efforts weren’t enough to keep up with the volume of waste."
All the people who were camping in the area were asked to move in order for the cleaning to take place, which Coddington said is standard practice. However, many of the people camping in the area are still staying on the sidewalks outside of the fencing.
Coddington said there have been no reports of arrests or citations. He added a temporary night-by-night shelter remains an option for those who were asked to leave the area.