Downtown distracted by dumpsters

The result: dumpsters squat along public sidewalks with an orbit of trash, sometimes attracting rats and, according to Becker, “being used as a toilet.”

“Our city is too good for that,” he said, noting that more visitors are coming to Vancouver and often first arrive in downtown.

“It’s just not acceptable anymore. We’ve got to do something to get sidewalks back to their intended use, which is for the people.”

A task force created in August aims to address the problem in a 12-block area of downtown, bordered by Broadway, Columbia, Evergreen and Sixth streets.

The task force’s 11 members, largely from the city and some downtown businesses, propose moving dumpsters to two central locations on Ninth Street. The city also plans to start fining businesses $250 for leaving garbage cans in the public right of way.

Those fines aren’t new, said Vancouver’s Solid Waste Supervisor Tanya Gray, but the city has hardly enforced them in recent years because there hasn’t historically been this many restaurants nor this much garbage.

“Now with more business moving in, we’re finding the need to enforce that code,” she said. The city does not expect to start really writing tickets until the fall. “We’re hoping that gives business enough time to make adjustments.”

Restaurant boom

The downtown area has added 48 restaurants, bars and coffee shops in the last five years, according to the city of Vancouver. But restaurants say many buildings often aren’t up to the task.

One new arrival, The Smokin’ Oak Pit & Eatery, spawns waste from the meat it barbecues, cardboard and oil. It doesn’t have a dedicated garbage space in the building, which used to be a car dealership, said owner Erick Gill.

“Most of these restaurants are going into buildings that are not intended to be restaurant spaces,” he said. But he added that he agrees with the task force’s motivations. “I think it’s in everyone’s interest to make (downtown) visually appealing.”

When local food truck The Mighty Bowl moved into its brick-and-mortar location at 108 W. Eighth St. last fall, owner Steve Valenta said he ceded restaurant space to build stations to handle garbage.

“It’s no question we gave up square footage to accommodate it. If we didn’t, there would have been more floor space for customers,” he said. “But I think it should happen. That’s our responsibility as tenants and building owners.”

Valenta, who served on the task force, said the city should be taking closer looks at garbage management when restaurants and bars get permitted.

“Otherwise it just perpetuates this problem,” he said.

One building owner is not convinced. Dean Irvin, who owns the two-story Ranck Building on the corner of Ninth and Washington streets, argued many older buildings have space but tenants aren’t using them — and should be fined.

“This is not a new law, this is an old law. If the city actually enforced its own rule, it would probably clean things up pretty fast,” he said. “I don’t know why they haven’t enforced this rule.”

Irvin also opposes creating the centralized garbage enclosures to serve many downtown eateries. There is talk of putting one enclosure next to one of his tenants, the restaurant Little Italy’s Trattoria at 901 Washington St.

“Do you think you’d be interested in having a nice Italian meal sitting next to a bunch of dumpsters?” he said. “I don’t think so.”