Sex offenders could be forced to the street as deadline looms

KENT -- The city of Kent has notified 10 group homes housing registered sex offenders that they have until September to clear out.

The homes were sent a letter Aug. 19 instructing owners to comply with city code pertaining to the sex offenders, restricting the homes from operating within 1,000 feet of a school, church, park, playground or residential area. Also, the homes can't be located within 600 feet of another sex offender home.

According to Kent's City Attorney Pat Fitzpatrick, the 10 homes have violated city code. Owners were first notified of their violations in May and given 30 days to bring the homes into compliance. The city received requests from the owners for additional time, Fitzpatrick said, but the owners have yet to make the necessary changes.

"In total, we've given them four months to stop the illegal use of the homes and to assist their residents to find alternative housing," Fitzpatrick said. "As of today, there is no indication these owners or operators intend to comply with the law; therefore, we must take this necessary legal step to enforce it."

Operators will have until the first week of September to comply with the city code before the city files suit in King County Superior Court to pursue code violations that carry a fine of $500 per day.

Many of the homes are managed by Eddie Weber, who said in July that evicting that sex offenders would put them out on the street.

"It's grossly unfair," Weber said at the time. "It's just bad policy."

Kent is the sixth largest city in Washington.