Map of the boundaries of the new buffer zone for 3301 Lombard Ave. The lined area on the map is an overlapping no-sit/no-lie zone around the Everett Gospel Mission.
City of Everett graphic
EVERETT — A City Council subcommittee met last week to discuss the impact of Andy’s Place, a permanent supportive housing facility operated by Compass Health at 3301 Lombard Ave.
During the meeting, one of the key topics was the work to keep the area around Andy’s Place safe, which included a buffer zone measure that prohibits sitting or lying down.
According to Compass Health CEO Tom Sebastian, Andy’s Place was created to provide a stable environment for some of the community’s most vulnerable members. “Its purpose is to create an environment for the most challenging-to-house community members,” Sebastian told the committee.
It opened in 2021 with 82 rooms.
Residents of Andy’s Place are referred through the Snohomish County Coordinated Entry system, which helps individuals and families access housing and support services. Referrals also come from agencies like Veterans Affairs and the Aging and Long-Term Support Administration, particularly for individuals moving out of Western State Hospital or adult group homes.
Neighboring residents have voiced concerns about disruptions in the area. At the meeting, Sebastian acknowledged these concerns and outlined steps Compass Health is taking to address them.
Sebastian said the organization is “committed to finding solutions.”
Compass Health has set up dedicated channels for neighbors to voice concerns such as a dedicated email address and phone line, as well as mailings to keep the public informed. Additionally, security measures at Andy’s Place have been strengthened.
Compass Health representatives said it is implementing a three-pronged approach that includes neighborhood outreach, operations improvements, and partnerships with law enforcement, city officials, and neighborhood leaders to tackle broader issues in the area —issues that the residents of Andy’s Place do not cause.
One significant measure is the establishment of a “no-sit/no-lie” buffer zone around Andy’s Place. The zone, which extends around the facility’s location at 3301 Lombard Ave., prohibits individuals from sitting or lying down on city property. This buffer zone is designed to alleviate issues caused by individuals who are not residents of Andy’s Place but were congregating around the area, contributing to nuisance behavior and criminal activity.
There were 170 calls in the last three months, “and a third of those were generated by Everett Police,” said Captain Kevin Fairchild with the Everett Police Department (EPD). The rest of the calls to police surround concerns about behavior health, suspicious calls, and noise complaints, he said.
Councilmember Paula Rhyne said “if there is a way that a security person (from Compass Health) could help a person in crisis, I think that would alleviate our EPD stress as well.”
Rhyne also pointed out the issue of “drug houses” in the area of Andy’s Place and believes those could be partially responsible for some of the criminal activity.
“If it’s easy for the neighbors to spot the activity, I don’t know why it’s been allowed to fester this long,” Rhyne said.
Fairchild said police are aware of a number of locations near Andy’s Place that are drug houses. “We continue to work those locations,” Fairchild said. “We are not only doing the enforcement, but we are looking to address those locations through our administrative sergeant.” The process uses fines.
He added that the solution to the drug houses are not quick fixes due to constitutional issues that the department has to respect, even if there are criminal acts.
Everett established several “no-sit/no-lie” buffer zones in response to growing concerns in the community. The new buffer zone around Andy’s Place was added on April 1, 2024, following multiple complaints and data indicating an increase in disruptive behavior and suspicious activity.
“We cooperate with the ordinance and ensure our security teams, residents and staff are informed about it. We work closely with city and law enforcement officials, along with the Everett Station District Alliance, to ensure our community is supported and resources remain accessible,” Sebastian said. He continued, “Our protocols and practices include 24/7 security, a neighborhood advisory committee, a dedicated phone number and email contact for neighborhood residents, coordinated response protocol with our emergency services partners and a good neighbor policy with our tenants.”
The meeting also touched on the future phases of the Andy’s Place redevelopment project. Phase II, which focuses on Crisis and Intensive Services, is expected to be completed by May 2025.
