City of Bend begins sweep of Hunnell Road, says it may take more than two weeks to fully clean street
(Update: Adding video, comments from Hunnell residents, city of Bend)
BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) -- After months of delays and a court fight that ended with an injunction denied by Deschutes County Circuit Judge Wells Ashby on Monday, the city of Bend began their sweep on Tuesday of the years-long homeless encampment on Hunnell Road and adjacent streets.
The city plan began with crews putting barricades in place at 5 a.m. on Hunnell and Clausen roads.
When we arrived around 7:30, a gentlemen named Daren could be heard saying, "Honest journalism is dead!"
He was one of three men who were holding up crosses from behind the barricades.
"There's nothing preventing you from coming over those barricades," Nick Schindler, a pastor who lives on Hunnell Road, told NewsChannel 21.
After asking where the three men might be going due to the sweep, the "mayor" of Hunnell Road, named Smokey, told us, "They haven't given us a place! All they want to do is 24-hour push and shoves!"
Our quick count Tuesday morning found at least 100 people living on Hunnell Road still, with at least two dozen RVs and trailers.
RVs and trailers that can be moved by fifth-wheel or manually started are set to be towed away by Consolidated Towing to county-owned land off of 27th street, where they will be held for up to 30 days. In that 30-day span, people will be able to come get their vehicles or campers, if they can move it themselves.
As for the waste left behind, a team from Central Oregon BioSolutions was there with gloves, masks and garbage bags. They were throwing away tents and other debris from some who had already cleared out.
One Hunnell Road resident, who moved to Bend from Chicago, told us, "I have no idea (where I'm going). Probably to go see my daughter in Spokane. Somewhere out of Bend, that's for sure."
On Monday, Ashby ruled in favor of the city of Bend cleanup going forward after homeless advocates had filed an emergency motion, seeking an injunction trying to stop the sweep, claiming the city violated the Americans with Disabilities Act.
A total 23 people were granted a one-week extension related to their ADA "reasonable accommodation" filings and are required to be out by next Monday, July 24th.
Outspoken advocate Smokey was one of the 23 who got an extension: "I have terminal cancer and I have a heart condition, I'm dying! I don't have time to waste on it!"
On Tuesday, the city was tagging RVs and camps occupied by people without the exemption.
About 10 Bend police officers were on hand, but for the most part, residents complied as the city moved forward with the clean up that was announced on June 21st.
The city says it will do a deep cleaning of Hunnell Road after next week, giving the street a new paint job and signage.
According to the city, the cleanup may take up to two weeks to complete, due to the ADA accommodations.
After those street improvements, the city will close Hunnell for 14 days, as allowed by its camping code.
