A Letter from Mayor Lund

Dear Neighbors,

Happy Spring!

Throughout the last month, KMNA Board members have continued conversation with King Mountain neighbors and the Mayor's office about the KMNA March 4th community meeting and the concerns it was intended to hear out. Our KMNA Board notes on the meeting are shared in another blog post. The Mayor's office has acknowledged the shortcomings of the March 4th meeting to KMNA board members and is committed to continuing to hear from our neighborhood. Mayor Lund has written and shared a letter with our board. She requested we share with all of you as we saw fit. See below.

This is a heartbreaking and, for many, scary topic. With hope for a stronger, healthier King Mountain, we encourage all our neighbors to advocate effectively for our neighborhood with grace, respect and a willingness to learn along the way. If the Mayor's letter raises more questions for you or doesn't answer outstanding ones, shoot us a line and we will do our best to pass them along. For those of you who would like to understand the geography and ownership of the land parcels impacted by the encampment, we encourage you to use the Bellingham's incredible GIS program: CityIQ.

Sincerely,

Your KMNA Board

Mayor Lund's Letter to King Mountain Neighbors

Dear King Mountain Neighbors

I am writing to update you on the City's work addressing encampment activity affecting your neighborhood, specifically around the E. Stuart Road area. I know many of you are concerned, and I want to be direct about what we've done, what we're doing now, and what comes next.

First, I want you to know that we hear and understand the frustration many of you feel. These are challenging, complex problems with very real impacts on community members. As a City we are acting with diligence and compassion to address your public safety concerns.

What the City Has Done

The largest encampment in this area sits mostly on a 20-acre parcel owned by Ms. Fang, who lives out of the country, has never seen the property, and has not responded to the City or the court despite years of effort. This situation is unusual — most property owners are accessible and responsive when we contact them.

After years of legal work and hundreds of hours of staff time, we secured court authority to access and take actions on this property. We fenced portions of the western and southern property lines in coordination with adjacent property owners. The goal was to provide relief to Tullwood Apartment residents, area businesses, and others nearby who were experiencing daily impacts.

We were in regular contact with property owners to the south and east — the direction of King Mountain neighbors. We urged them to secure their properties and join in cooperative action to prevent encampment activity from simply shifting onto their land. Some took steps; others did not. 

We have had success elsewhere with a coordinated approach. At Bakerview Road and Northwest Avenue, an encampment was causing visible, hazardous impacts to nearby residents, businesses, and people passing through, we brought together property owners and supported their efforts to remove the encampment and clean up the properties. That work was completed in January 2025, paid for by the property owners, and the area has remained clear. 

We are once again calling for coordination of the next steps.

What We Are Doing Now

Working with private property owners:  A significant portion of the encampment activity affecting your neighborhood is on private land where the City does not have automatic authority to act. We are communicating regularly with these property owners. Those who do not take responsibility face enforcement actions. We expect them to adhere to local laws, and maintain and secure their properties, just as we expect from property owners throughout the City.

Expanding outreach and services:  The City and our partners invest millions of dollars each year in housing and human services, including services that can connect encampment residents with shelter, treatment, food, sanitation, and more. Many people living in encampments resist services — often due to untreated mental health conditions, addiction, or a loss of faith in systems meant to help them. We continue offering help and expanding housing options across the continuum of need.

Supporting neighborhood safety:  If you see life-safety emergencies or criminal activities, call 911. If you see new encampment activities on public or private property, report them using our SeeClickFix app at cob.org/fix. More ways you can help are listed below.

What Comes Next

Continued pressure on property owners:  We will keep working with property owners adjacent to the Fang property. Those who cooperate will receive our support. Those who do not will face enforcement. We have requested these owners submit plans by specific deadlines for collaborative actions to take place later this year. For example, one owner risks a nuisance abatement action if they do not respond by April 30. Action on these properties may take longer if the City must pursue enforcement and legal steps to gain compliance.

Evaluating next steps:  We are carefully evaluating options for our next steps on the Fang property and expect additional actions to begin this summer when it is dry enough to work on the property. Completing work on the Fang property could take several more years and many  millions of dollars. The intention of the coordinated actions this summer is to provide relief for your neighborhood and safer outcomes for all.

Advocating for better tools:  Cities in Washington lack some of the legal and financial tools other states use to address problem properties. We are advocating at the state legislature for new options and funding. Some of our state representatives have toured the E. Stuart Road encampment and seen the issues firsthand.

Investment in services: We will continue investing in services that address the root causes of encampments, including our work to open a new day shelter, a new tiny home village, and continued support for other services. Our goal is to help people find stability, not simply move them from one location to another.

How You Can Help

• Secure your homes and belongings by locking doors, cars, and sheds, and considering lighting, cameras, and fencing.

• Know your neighbors and look out for one another.

• Call 911 to report urgent threats to safety, criminal activities, or trespassing on your property. 

• Report new non-urgent issues (abandoned tents, encampments on public and private property) through SeeClickFix, at cob.org/fix. No need to continue reporting known encampments. 

• Stay informed by visiting cob.org/encampments.

How Owners of Large Parcels Can Help

• Secure large vacant properties by regularly monitoring, fencing, security patrols and/or other means. Information and assistance available at cob.org/encampments.

• Post no trespassing signs on all sides.

• Act immediately if unauthorized people are trespassing. Early action prevents encampments.

• Call 911 to request a trespassing response for new activity. Calls are prioritized based on officer availability and immediate threat to public safety.

I understand the frustration and concern many of you feel. These are difficult problems with no quick fixes. The City is committed to acting with both urgency and care — protecting public safety while treating everyone involved with dignity.

Thank you for giving me the opportunity to provide more context. We will continue to keep you informed as our work continues.

Kim Lund 

Mayor

she/her/hers pronouns