Tent City 4 returned to the High Point area east of Issaquah Dec. 28, vacating Lake Sammamish State Park’s Hans Jensen campsite after the state Parks and Recreation Commission declined to extend the homeless community’s stay through early February.

Many of Tent City 4’s residents spent their last day in Hans Jensen setting up camp on Lovegren Road, directly off of Exit 20 on Interstate 90.

Tent City 4 previously moved to Lovegren Road in February, after managing organization SHARE/WHEEL failed to convince King County parks officials to let them take up residence in Cougar/Squak Corridor Park — which was, at that time, under construction.

The February move to Lovegren Road, like the current move, was accomplished on short notice and without an official permit. The land is owned by King County.

Elizabeth Maupin, a volunteer for the Issaquah Sammamish Interfaith Coalition who has worked on behalf of Tent City residents on several occasions in the past, said she quickly put out a call for volunteers to help residents break down the remains of their Hans Jensen camp.

“Our local parks people have been really nice about making this possible,” Maupin said, by giving Tent City 4 time beyond Dec. 28 to move their property out of Hans Jensen.

But she said Lake Sammamish State Parks officials had shown more understanding than their state-level counterparts.

Washington State Parks agreed to host Tent City 4 at Hans Jensen beginning Nov. 15. Leaders from the camp and organizing nonprofit SHARE/WHEEL requested to stay until Feb. 6, the date of a planned move to Mary, Queen of Peace Catholic Church.

But a representative of the Parks Commission, a volunteer advisory group for Washington State Parks, notified camp coordinator SHARE/WHEEL on Dec. 21 that the camp could only have one more week. The representative cited agency regulations limiting camping time to 40 days, as well as conflicts with upcoming winter projects and events.

Dick Gram, a Sammamish resident and co-chair of the missions team at Faith United Methodist Church, said that by timing its notice days before Christmas, the Commission left no room for discussion between camp residents and state officials who had left on holiday. Gram protested the circumstances and reasons for the Commission’s notice in a recent letter to Gov. Jay Inslee.

“… these are good people at Tent City 4, many of whom are employed,” Gram wrote. “They were model citizens while at our church [in spring 2014] and will be invited back again.”

Gram said that Sammamish city law prevents Tent City 4 from staying at Faith United immediately before its move to Mary, Queen of Peace.

The city’s homeless encampment ordinance, adopted by the Sammamish City Council in July 2014, allows camps to set up inside city limits no more than once per year.

Jan Bennett, another Faith United member and volunteer, said Tent City 4’s residents “worked very hard for the church” during their stay.

At a Dec. 30 community meeting held at Mary, Queen of Peace, Bennett asked if the residents’ helpfulness would continue at the parish.

“Yes it will,” Roberson said. “We will help in any way we can.”

Tent City 4 previously stayed on Mary, Queen of Peace’s property from Oct. 2013 to Jan. 2014. It was the camp’s first stay in Sammamish, a stay which camp and parish leaders agreed was troubled but positive overall.

Sammamish police were called to the church 30 times during the three-month stay and arrested one man at the camp for possession of methamphetamine, said Sgt. Frances Carlson, representing Sammamish Police Chief Nate Elledge at the meeting. However, she noted that half the calls were made by Tent City 4 leaders themselves and overall crime did not rise in the neighborhood. The camp ejected eight residents following the drug investigation.

The Rev. Kevin Duggan said conversations about “tightening up the ship” during a second stay were a major part of negotiations with Tent City 4. But he was quick to defend the camp against accusations that crime was “prevalent” during their first stay and reiterated the church’s duty to provide help to neighbors in need.

“The parish was very hurt by what happened,” Duggan said. “But the people of Tent City 4, they were harmed also.”