Residents of Englar Street in Winthrop are hoping for little more neighborliness from their newest neighbor: the Winthrop Marshal’s Office.
Mayor Sally Ranzau assured those residents that the town will address their concerns.
The Marshal’s Office recently began its move from a small, leased building on Riverside Avenue to the much larger building on Englar Street formerly occupied by Okanogan County Fire District 6. The district has moved staff and equipment to its new fire hall on Horizon Flat Road.
Winthrop had been looking for alternative, more permanent sites for the Marshal’s Office and the town-owned fire hall was the best choice, Ranzau said.
At last week’s Town Council meeting, Englar Street resident Steve Jones said the impact of the new Marshal’s Office is being felt, and he wanted to speak on behalf of the neighborhood.
He said the building’s surveillance cameras are installed, patrol cars are coming and going, creating extra traffic, and that building lights have not been dimmed despite the neighbors’ requests. He also expressed concern about holding cells in the new building, where people in custody will be kept before being transported the Okanogan County Jail.
“It feels like we are under surveillance,” Jones said. “We ask for empathy. I go out my front yard and I’m looking at four police cars.”
Another Englar Street resident, Colby Frederick, said he has lived next to the former fire station for six years. He asked if any public process such as conditional use permit application was followed in the move.
Ranzau said she has talked to Marshal Doug Johnson about the issues. She said the Marshal’s Office is still moving in and “we can make some adjustments.”
“Our intention is for it to be very low-impact,” Ranzau said. Police vehicles could probably park behind the building, she said.
The mayor said Johnson will contact Englar Street residents directly, and the neighbors’ concerns will be addressed as an agenda item at a future Town Council meeting.
“We’ll investigate to see if it was done properly,” she said.
