Written by 
An 18-inch gap under the security fence is large enough for adults and children to easily access the dangerous Garden Plaza buildings (often referred to as Park Avenue building). People are also using the retaining wall (on the far right) to step over the barbed wire here.
Every time I’ve driven past the derelict Garden Plaza buildings I’ve easily spotted one or more holes in the security fence. Everytime these failings are brought to the City’s attention, City leaders insist that permanent repairs by the building’s owner are imminently forthcoming, or an all-new fence is about to be installed that will be far more more impassible and secure than the previous one. But the result is always the same.
The latest barbed-wire-topped fence was the subject of a September Renton Reporter article, in which the Mayor addressed on-going neighborhood concerns about this building. The mayor assured the public the city had issued a firm deadline for construction of this new fence which was supposed to be “unscalable” (the article said “upscalable,” which I assume was a typo.)
I easily spotted the current fence openings from the road. A large gap at the bottom of the fence near a staircase provides enough room for even an adult to easily slide under; the bare spot in the fallen leaves shows the gap is in use. For those trespassers that don’t want to slide under, the concrete retaining wall enables intruders to take a large step over the barbed wire above the gap; the sagging barbed wire shows this is happening.
The public has been promised that this property would be secured. The unsecured property full of broken glass, open drops, and biohazards continues to be a deadly risk to curious children and people seeking shelter. It’s also a severe fire hazard for the neighborhood, and thrown objects from these buildings have put motorists at risk.
The owners of this property have had years to comply with city requirements. They are making a mockery of Renton’s code enforcement. Strong code enforcement could have saved these buildings when they first went into disrepair; now we need strong code enforcement to protect human safety.
The code requires all the doors and windows be secured on vacant buildings, with either their original materials or architectural panels that match the building design. It also requires that fire protection systems be maintained. The code includes no exceptions or special privileges just because the building might be torn down in the future. At some point every building will eventually be torn down– but it still has to meet code in the meantime. If the owners won’t do the work to meet codes, the city should do the work and bill the owners for it, putting a lien on the property if necessary–which is allowed under the law.
If you want to help you can email the Council and Mayor, and insist that code enforcement be taken seriously on these dangerous and blighted buildings: Send emails to: council@rentonwa.gov and mayor@rentonwa.gov.
For further background on this property and the relevant codes, click here.
This retaining wall provides an opportunity for intruders to step over the fence at the top of the stairs; the sagging wire shows it is happening.
These buildings are dangerous! No one should be entering this building site without authorization and appropriate protective equipment. Even standing next to the buildings could be deadly due to falling glass and debris.
Recent Comments