Everett Expands No Sit, No Lie Buffer Zones in North District
Everett implemented two new no sit, no lie buffer zones in the city’s north end this past Thursday, while also dismantling a zone first put in place in 2023, as noted on the city’s official website.
These designated zones restrict individuals from sitting or reclining on public property and require permits for those wishing to distribute food, water, or essential items to people in violation of the rules. The policy has drawn mixed reactions over time: some residents view it as a useful tool to curb quality-of-life offenses, while others contend it disproportionately affects unhoused individuals.
The latest additions center on 1715 Broadway and 2625 Colby Avenue, each covering roughly two square blocks. The Broadway corridor now spans from 15th Street in the north to 20th Street in the south, and from Oakes Avenue on the west to Virginia Avenue on the east. The Colby Avenue zone extends from 24th Street in the north to Hewitt Avenue in the south, and from Rucker Avenue in the west to Oakes Avenue in the east.
Also effective Thursday was the removal of the buffer zone previously centered at 2624 Rockefeller Avenue. Though geographically adjacent—just a few blocks west—the Colby site operates under a separate designation than the former Rockefeller location, city officials clarified. That earlier zone had been anchored near a shelter that has since ceased operations.
City spokesperson Simone Tarver explained in a recent email that the new zones reflect documented concerns around public health and safety. At the Broadway site, approximately 159 service calls were logged over the last half-year, with recurring issues including loitering, complaints about disruptive behavior, and unauthorized entry onto private land. Meanwhile, the Colby Avenue corridor saw reports of persistent encampments, waste accumulation, and signs of illicit drug activity.
Although the Colby zone sits near where the Rockefeller buffer once operated, officials stressed the two were never intended to be a direct relocation. Rather, they emerged from separate administrative decisions under distinct ordinance provisions.
The city’s first no sit, no lie zone was approved by the City Council in 2021, initially confined to a ten-block stretch east of Broadway near Everett Station. That initial step coincided with plans to develop a Pallet shelter site. By 2023, council members granted the mayor expanded authority to unilaterally create new zones, provided that each location experiences at least six qualifying incidents within a six-month window. Eligible incidents include trespassing, theft, harassment, physical altercations, disruptive conduct by transit riders, littering, drug-related offenses, street obstructions, noise disturbances, and encampment formation.
That same year, the council also introduced an additional layer: individuals now need a permit to offer food, water, supplies, or support services to people sitting or lying in the restricted areas.
City leaders in Everett voted in November 2025 to prolong a set of regulations governing certain public areas, which were originally slated to lapse at the close of that year. The regulations will remain enforceable through the end of 2027.
During the initial two-year period following the adoption of these rules, local police officers issued 156 warnings concerning restricted zones. Additionally, authorities filed 15 criminal cases involving violations of these regulations, which involved 11 separate individuals, city personnel previously stated. A city administrative official, Jennifer Gregerson, noted that between 2023 and 2025, a single individual entered a guilty plea on a buffer zone charge alongside other offenses, resulting in a conviction.
The city expanded its list of restricted zones in December 2025, designating an area near 41st Street.
City representatives state that while they offer outreach, resources, and enforcement actions within these designated areas, the primary goal is not to resolve homelessness entirely. Instead, Tarver explained that these zones serve as one method for the municipality to mitigate specific, documented health and safety hazards while continuing to support vulnerable populations.
Resting or reclining on public property within these restricted areas constitutes a misdemeanor. The offense carries a maximum penalty of 90 days of incarceration and potential fines reaching $500.
According to Tarver, the public works department intends to place signage for the newly designated zones by the end of October. Digital maps illustrating the city's six buffer zones can be accessed at everettwa.gov/3070/Current-Buffer-Zones.