Dozens lived in the encampment near Bruce Vento Nature Sanctuary, which was torn down Thursday due to growing safety concerns.

Michele Knutson, 37, walked around the encampment at Bruce Vento Nature Sanctuary Thursday snapping photos of the empty tents she and others lived in before it would be gone. “I’m not surprised because this is a sanctuary,” Knutson said. “There’s time when we give the sanctuary back that’s the reason why it’s a sanctuary.”

Since that encampment went up in August of 2023, city leaders say police have responded to more than 400 calls there, and 50 calls for fire and medical help.