City of Centralia Annexes Land That Includes Homeless Camp; Development Expected

During Tuesday night’s regular meeting, the Centralia City Council moved to annex a 109-acre plot of land along Reynolds Avenue. 

The annexation includes the area where the homeless encampment at Blakeslee Junction is located and stretches south to the banks of the Skookumchuck River. The city hopes to have industrial developments be constructed on the land. 

The annexation was approved unanimously following its second reading on Tuesday. Discussion was short as Community Development Director Emil Pierson told the council nothing had changed since the annexation’s first reading at the Feb. 14 city council meeting. 

“The main catalyst in this project is actually called Wagner property which is right in the middle if you look in this map on the screen,” Pierson said during the Feb. 14 meeting, later adding, “It includes Reynolds (Avenue).

It includes a couple properties that are owned and controlled by Reliable Enterprises but the developer has gone through the purchase quite a bit.” 

As for the Blakeslee Junction encampment, Pierson told the council at last month’s meeting the city is working on entering an interlocal agreement with Lewis County and other partners to address the ongoing issues there. Lewis County last fall passed local law banning homeless encampments on county land, though it has yet to be enforced. 

That interlocal agreement hasn’t been brought to the council for consideration. 

During public comment on the annexation last month, Patty Howard, co-pastor of Gather Church, spoke out for those living at the homeless encampment and urged everyone to remember that those living there are still people. 

“Part of the thing about being a pastor is that you give voice to the voiceless and power to powerless,” Howard said, later saying, “We work closely with the residents at Blakeslee Junction and I was thinking as much as I love the idea of bringing industry and fresh faces to Centralia and encouraging economic growth, I was thinking if there were 15 homes in this area to be annexed, would it be treated differently?” 

Director of Lewis County Public Health & Social Services Meja Handlen also spoke at last month’s meeting and explained while she wasn’t officially sanctioned to talk about what was happening at Blakeslee Junction, the county has been collaborating with the Washington State Department of Transportation, property owners and with city employees to help those living at the Blakeslee Junction encampment find residences elsewhere. 

“As Pastor Patty said, these are people living at this location and we are doing everything we can to move forward to find another opportunity for them,” Handlen said. 

Since most of the land is already industrially zoned, Pierson said developments are what councilors can expect to see there in the future. 

“I would expect to see some type of warehouse distribution center, but we’re not sure who the potential user is. This property, I believe, is under contract with Panattoni Development and they’re the ones who did the Ryerson Steel (warehouse),” Pierson said at last month’s meeting. 

Councilor Mark Westley raised concerns about flooding, given the property’s proximity to the Skookumchuck River. He used to own property on Reynolds Avenue for over a decade, including when the catastrophic 2007 flood hit. 

“At the bottom of my driveway, 1505 Reynolds at the time, when the ‘07 flood hit I had hip waders on and it was above my knees with about 3 and a half feet of water. Tried to go across the field to see how deep it got, and I know most of that field was covered by 5 or 6 feet of water,” Westley said at last month’s meeting. 

Pierson explained that the city already allows developments to be made in floodplains, which comprises most of the Reynolds Avenue annexation land. He also said developers were aware of the flooding risk and as per the city’s building codes would have to build their structures a foot above the base flood elevation level. 

“If the 2007 flood was the highest or the 1996, they will have to make sure that building is flood-proofed or built 1 foot above (those levels),” Pierson said at last month’s meeting. 

In the preliminary plans he had been shown, Pierson told the council that not only are the developers planning flood-proofed structures but will also have parking dug out in the floodplain to hold flood waters when they rise.  

That means the area will not displace flood waters into surrounding neighborhoods, he said, and developers have told Pierson they also plan on adding artificial ponds as deep as 10 feet to help further mitigate flooding.

Additionally, traffic impact analysis studies are currently being conducted to see if traffic mitigation will be needed alongside the industrial development.  It includes a couple properties that are owned and controlled by Reliable Enterprises but the developer has gone through the purchase quite a bit.” 

As for the Blakeslee Junction encampment, Pierson told the council at last month’s meeting the city is working on entering an interlocal agreement with Lewis County and other partners to address the ongoing issues there. Lewis County last fall passed local law banning homeless encampments on county land, though it has yet to be enforced. 

That interlocal agreement hasn’t been brought to the council for consideration. 

During public comment on the annexation last month, Patty Howard, co-pastor of Gather Church, spoke out for those living at the homeless encampment and urged everyone to remember that those living there are still people. 

“Part of the thing about being a pastor is that you give voice to the voiceless and power to powerless,” Howard said, later saying, “We work closely with the residents at Blakeslee Junction and I was thinking as much as I love the idea of bringing industry and fresh faces to Centralia and encouraging economic growth, I was thinking if there were 15 homes in this area to be annexed, would it be treated differently?” 

Director of Lewis County Public Health & Social Services Meja Handlen also spoke at last month’s meeting and explained while she wasn’t officially sanctioned to talk about what was happening at Blakeslee Junction, the county has been collaborating with the Washington State Department of Transportation, property owners and with city employees to help those living at the Blakeslee Junction encampment find residences elsewhere. 

“As Pastor Patty said, these are people living at this location and we are doing everything we can to move forward to find another opportunity for them,” Handlen said. 

Since most of the land is already industrially zoned, Pierson said developments are what councilors can expect to see there in the future. 

“I would expect to see some type of warehouse distribution center, but we’re not sure who the potential user is. This property, I believe, is under contract with Panattoni Development and they’re the ones who did the Ryerson Steel (warehouse),” Pierson said at last month’s meeting. 

Councilor Mark Westley raised concerns about flooding, given the property’s proximity to the Skookumchuck River. He used to own property on Reynolds Avenue for over a decade, including when the catastrophic 2007 flood hit. 

“At the bottom of my driveway, 1505 Reynolds at the time, when the ‘07 flood hit I had hip waders on and it was above my knees with about 3 and a half feet of water. Tried to go across the field to see how deep it got, and I know most of that field was covered by 5 or 6 feet of water,” Westley said at last month’s meeting. 

Pierson explained that the city already allows developments to be made in floodplains, which comprises most of the Reynolds Avenue annexation land. He also said developers were aware of the flooding risk and as per the city’s building codes would have to build their structures a foot above the base flood elevation level. 

“If the 2007 flood was the highest or the 1996, they will have to make sure that building is flood-proofed or built 1 foot above (those levels),” Pierson said at last month’s meeting. 

In the preliminary plans he had been shown, Pierson told the council that not only are the developers planning flood-proofed structures but will also have parking dug out in the floodplain to hold flood waters when they rise.  

That means the area will not displace flood waters into surrounding neighborhoods, he said, and developers have told Pierson they also plan on adding artificial ponds as deep as 10 feet to help further mitigate flooding.

Additionally, traffic impact analysis studies are currently being conducted to see if traffic mitigation will be needed alongside the industrial development.