BELLINGHAM, WA (MyBellinghamNow.com) – The City of Bellingham has filed a lawsuit against the owner of the encampment near Walmart.
The lawsuit was filed on Feb. 23 against Li-Ching Fang of Taiwan, according to court documents. Fang is listed as the owner of the 20-acre site on E Stuart Rd near Walmart. Hundreds of people have made this plot of land their home, turning it into one of the city’s largest encampments.
The property is considered a “critical area” for environmental protections due to the Lower Spring Creek running through it. However, vast piles of contaminated waste are piled throughout the site.
My Bellingham Now previously reported that community members and volunteers have been working to provide the encampment’s residents with basic supplies and other support.
Since June 2021, police have been called to the property 236 times and made 45 arrests. Officers acting on a search warrant in Aug. 2023 recovered 4 firearms, drugs, and 13 dogs from the site.
Most notably, three people have died at the encampment from opioid overdoses.
The Whatcom County Assessor’s Office shows that Fang has owned the property since 2019. Attempts to contact her have been unsuccessful, but a family member was able to get in contact with the city on her behalf in late 2022.
That person, only mentioned in court documents by their first name, has not taken any action to clear the encampment since then.
The City Council voted to file a nuisance abatement action against Fang on Feb. 15, but they still didn’t receive a response.
