PORT ANGELES, Wash. — Additional storage for derelict RVs is expected to open in Port Angeles in the next few months as the city grapples with an overwhelming number of impounded cars.
Port Angeles is working on a plan to construct additional storage at the tow yard at Evergreen Collision to add 17 RV spaces. It would be a 10-year lease costing the city about $10,000. It's a private-public partnership that will allow police to remove junk vehicles in days as opposed to months.
"It won't solve all the problems of the world, but for what we have right now, it will be a huge improvement," said Port Angeles Police Chief Brian Smith.
If all goes as planned, the new RV lot could be up and operating by this fall.
The Clallam County city has so many junk vehicles it has run out of room to store them leaving authorities no choice but to let them sit on the street.
While on his regular rounds, Port Angeles Code Enforcement Officer Glenn McFall pointed to one vehicle that had been there for almost a year.
"I'm very frustrated," McFall said.
Derelict RVs, cars, campers and all that goes along with them are littering city streets. Many of them could legally be impounded, but there's one problem.
"We have no place to put them," McFall said, shaking his head.
The tow yard at Evergreen Collision is completely full with about 20 junk vehicles are being held. One of them is 32 feet long. They can end up attracting rats and become a health hazard.
"Most of them are a total disaster," said Evergreen owner Dave Anstett. "They've had no maintenance. The tanks are full of sewage. The windows are broken out. And with more people living in cars, there's been more and more of these cars being dumped on us."
Anstett said getting to the point where a vehicle can be legally impounded is very tricky since it has to be vacant. State law dictates municipalities can't impound an occupied vehicle if it is someone's residence.
"If we miss that specific point when we can get it disposed of, another bunch of people can move in and the process starts all over," he said.