Gas Works Park, July 2025.
In the 1970s, the City of Seattle transformed a toxic waste site into Gas Works Park. Today, the crackling towers represent a nuisance to our children, youth, and young adults. The edifice has claimed three lives in the past thirteen years and severely injured at least a dozen more.
Two different departments within the City are currently warring with one another over whether the towers should be fixed for public safety reasons. The parks department says the work must be done to immediately preserve public safety and that it already has obtained funding for the emergency work. The neighborhoods department says preserving the history of GWP (a toxic waste site) should trump all.
This lawsuit is brought because the City created a nuisance that is unlike any other. There is no other City owned structure that has resulted in as many unintentional falls, injuries and deaths as the towers. Now, faced with the latest in a long line of tragedies, the City cannot put aside its petty internal squabbling to fix the clear danger to public safety. Even though the City has created and funded and “emergency” remedy.
The nuisance and abetment lawsuit is brought by Adam, Carrie and Emmett Johnson, the parents and brother of Mattheis Johnson who fell to his death at Gas Works Park.
Mattheis Johnson, Aug. 13, 2009 – July 10, 2025
This lawsuit is not a wrongful death negligence lawsuit. No determination has been made whether such a suit will be brought.
Stritmatter Law brings this as a pro bono lawsuit on behalf of the grieving members Mattheis’ family. To force the City to do its job in protecting the public from the nuisance it has created and fostered at Gas Works Park.