Juneau property owners ask city to clear Capital Avenue camp

Neighbors Ask Juneau to Clear Capital Avenue Encampment After Reported Bear Shooting

Residents and property owners near the Governor's Mansion have asked the City and Borough of Juneau to clear a long-running encampment above Capital Avenue. The letter asks the city to clean the site, secure it against re-encampment and coordinate support services for the people living there.

The letter appears in a City and Borough of Juneau meeting packet as "Attachment K," filed July 27. In text surfaced by Alaska First Media, the writers say, "The encampment on Capital Avenue, a longtime obnoxious nuisance, has become a threat to public safety." Alaska First Media reports the letter went to both the city and the Central Council of Tlingit and Haida Indian Tribes of Alaska. The outlet reports it follows a bear shooting near the camp earlier in the month.

What City Code Already Says

City code already restricts camping downtown. Under the city's camping ordinance, camping is prohibited on any parcel or right-of-way within or abutting the Downtown Juneau Area unless the property owner authorizes it. The ordinance also bars camping for more than 48 hours on City and Borough land, other than a public right-of-way, within one-half mile of the same location.

Tribe's Prior Interest in the Land

Alaska First Media reports the letter also went to the Central Council of Tlingit and Haida Indian Tribes of Alaska. The surfaced packet materials do not document the tribe's connection to the Capital Avenue properties or what role it is being asked to play.

No public record yet shows formal enforcement action by the city, the Juneau Police Department or the tribal government in response to the letter. The packet materials do not independently verify the letter's specific allegations. The available material also does not document the circumstances or service needs of the people living at the encampment.