| City of Seattle
Notice of City Council Public Hearings: May 16 - Related to Light Rail Permitting The City Council will hold several public hearings in May that relate to Sound Transit's Link light rail project. More information is provided in this notice on each hearing. The public hearing on Tuesday, May 16, at 9:30 a.m., will be on two ordinances that relate to light rail permitting by the City of Seattle; and The public hearings on Monday, May 22 and Wednesday, May 24, both at 6 p.m., will be on a resolution to approve concept-level station area planning recommendations for the areas around Link light rail stations. There is a lot of activity going on at the City of Seattle related to Sound Transit's Link light rail project. To keep the public informed, and to describe the various topics and how they are inter-related, we're sending this long notice. You'll see separate sections below that address the various light rail-related activities that are underway. LIGHT RAIL PERMITTING Background: Sound Transit is designing and building Link light rail, the first phase of which will extend from the City of SeaTac to N.E. 45th Street in the City of Seattle. Sound Transit and the City are working together to obtain funding to extend the line to Northgate. Sound Transit will need to obtain permits from the City of Seattle to construct light rail. The overall purpose of the permitting system is for the City to review Sound Transit's plans and designs to be sure they comply with all City codes and regulations, and to be sure that adverse impacts identified in the Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) have been addressed. The City can also impose conditions on the permits, to reduce impacts or address other regulatory concerns. After the City issues permits, it will monitor Sound Transit's performance to be sure that Sound Transit is complying with all permit conditions. Sound Transit will need several different permits from the City because some of the light rail line is within City street right-of-way (generally Seattle Transportation's (SEATRAN's) purview for permitting), while some is outside the right-of-way on private or other public property (generally the Department of Design, Construction, and Land Use's (DCLU's) purview for permitting). Sound Transit will need different permits at different times during its design and construction schedule, and permitting may be different depending on whether the line is in a tunnel, at-grade, or elevated. No system previously existed in Seattle for permitting this type of large project. Thus the City Council is working with several City departments to develop a system for light rail permitting. To put this system in place, the Council is in the process of reviewing and taking action on several pieces of legislation during the first half of 2000. The first pieces of legislation were approved by the City Council on April 10. The next two ordinances will be before the City Council in May and June. The public will have an opportunity to comment on these proposed ordinances as described below. Sound Transit has already begun applying to DCLU for actual permits under already-approved code provisions, and applications to SEATRAN will follow in late 2000. See the contacts later in this notice under "Information Available" to get information about the actual permit applications, and the City's review of those applications. Proposed Legislation: Two proposed ordinances relate to light rail permitting: An ordinance that would amend the Land Use Code to establish the permit process for permanent light rail facilities on private or public property outside public right-of-way; and An ordinance that would allow SEATRAN to issue permits for permanent light rail facilities within City street right-of-way. Public Hearing: The City Council's Transportation Committee, and Landlord/Tenant and Land Use Committee, will hold joint meetings to consider this proposed legislation, all in the City Council Chamber on the 11th floor of the Municipal Building at 600 Fourth Avenue in downtown Seattle. These two Council committees will hold a public hearing on these two proposed ordinances on Tuesday, May 16, 2000 at 9:30 a.m. The Council committees' review and vote on this legislation is scheduled to take place on June 6 or June 20. The public hearing on May 16 at 9:30 a.m. will be held in the City Council Chamber, 11th floor, Municipal Building, 600 Fourth Avenue. For those who wish to testify, a sign-up sheet will be available outside the Council Chamber one-half hour before the public hearing. The City Council Chamber is accessible. Print and communications access is provided on prior request. Please contact Councilmember Judy Nicastro's office at 684-8806 as soon as possible to request accommodations for a disability. Written Comments: For those unable to attend the public hearing, comments may be sent by May 16, 2000 to: Councilmember Judy Nicastro, 1100 Municipal Building, 600 Fourth Avenue, Seattle, WA 98104. Information Available: The proposed Land Use Code ordinance is
available (and the proposed right-of-way ordinance will be available by
about April 24) on-line at Because there are many inter-related issues, a number of different staff can provide information, depending on the specific issue. Questions concerning the proposed legislation may be directed to John Skelton of DCLU (for the Land Use Code ordinance) at 233-3883 or via email at: <john.skelton@ci.seattle.wa.us>, or to Phil Harrison of SEATRAN (for the right-of-way ordinance) at 684-5184 or via email at: <phil.harrison@ci.seattle.wa.us>, or to Martha Lester of the City Council's Central Staff at 684-8149 or via email at: <martha.lester@ci.seattle.wa.us>. Questions concerning the public hearing on May 16 may be directed to Jill Berkey in Councilmember Judy Nicastro's office, by calling 684-8806 or via email at: <jill.berkey@ci.seattle.wa.us>. Questions concerning DCLU's review of land use permit applications from Sound Transit may be directed to John Shaw of DCLU at 684-5837 or via email at: <john.shaw@ci.seattle.wa.us>. There will be an opportunity for the public to comment to DCLU on Sound Transit land use permit applications. To add your name to DCLU's mailing list to be notified of land use permit applications and opportunities for public comment on these applications, please contact John Shaw. Questions related to SEATRAN's review of right-of-way permit applications, or to the overall system of City permits for Sound Transit, may be directed to Phil Harrison of SEATRAN at 684-5184 or via email at: <phil.harrison@ci.seattle.wa.us>. CONCEPT-LEVEL STATION AREA PLANNING RECOMMENDATIONS Background: Although Sound Transit will build and operate the light rail system itself, including the stations, it is the City of Seattle that regulates land use and owns the streets and sidewalks around the stations. To make light rail a success in Seattle, we need to plan carefully for the areas around the light rail stations to encourage transit-oriented development and to make access improvements to the light rail stations. Station Area Planning is a City of Seattle sponsored program to encourage lively mixed use development, housing, open space, and other community services within walking distance (approximately one-quarter mile) of Seattle's light rail stations. In December 1998, the City Council adopted Resolution 29867, establishing city-wide goals and strategies to promote transit-oriented development. The City's Station Area Planning team has been at work for over a year, and has held numerous public meetings and workshops in neighborhoods all along the Link light rail line to ensure that the planning effort is responsive to the goals and ideas suggested by community members. "Station Area Advisory Committees" were established for most light rail station neighborhoods to allow interested individuals to guide the planning work. This work also built on the neighborhood plans that were developed in the past five years and adopted by the City Council. Public Hearings: The Station Area Planning team has submitted to the City Council a resolution that would approve concept-level station area planning recommendations for each Link light rail station in Seattle. The Council's Neighborhoods, Sustainability, and Community Development Committee will hold two public hearings on this resolution: Monday, May 22, at 6 p.m., at the Rainier Valley Cultural Center, 3515 S. Alaska Street; and Wednesday, May 24, at 6 p.m., in room 239 of Savery Hall on the University of Washington campus. The public hearings will begin with a half-hour presentation of the concept-level station area planning recommendations. The committee's review and vote on this legislation is scheduled to take place in late June. For those who wish to testify, a sign-up sheet will be available at each public hearing one-half hour before the public hearing. Both of these locations are accessible. Print and communications access is provided on prior request. Please contact Councilmember Richard Conlin's office at 684-8805 as soon as possible to request accommodations for a disability. Written Comments: For those unable to attend the public hearing, comments may be sent by May 24, 2000 to: Councilmember Richard Conlin, 1100 Municipal Building, 600 Fourth Avenue, Seattle, WA 98104. Information Available: For general information about the City's
station area planning work, visit the website at: Questions concerning the proposed resolution may be directed to Jemae Pope of SPO at 684-8674 or via email at: <jemae.pope@ci.seattle.wa.us>, or to Martha Lester of the City Council's Central Staff at 684-8149 or via email at: <martha.lester@ci.seattle.wa.us>. Questions concerning the public hearings on May 22 and 24 may be directed to Tye Ferrell in Councilmember Richard Conlin's office, by calling 684-8805 or via email at: <tye.ferrell@ci.seattle.wa.us>. OTHER UPCOMING ACTIVITIES RELATED TO LIGHT RAIL IN SEATTLE Station Area Rezones and Land Use Code Amendments: Along with the concept-level station area planning recommendations described above, the Station Area Planning team will also submit to the City Council recommended rezones for some station areas, and Land Use Code amendments, both of which will help implement the station area planning recommendations. The current schedule is that this legislation will be submitted to the Council about May 2, for review by the Council's Landlord/Tenant and Land Use Committee. Public hearings will likely be held on June 12 and 13 (probably one hearing in the Rainier Valley, and one hearing in the Capitol Hill/First Hill neighborhood). If these rezones and Land Use Code amendments are finalized and approved by the Council and Mayor, they will replace the Station Area Interim Overlay District that was established in 1999. For information on the rezones, contact John Shaw of DCLU at 684-5837 or via email at: <john.shaw@ci.seattle.wa.us>. For information on the Land Use Code amendments, contact Mike Podowski of DCLU at 386-1988 or via e-mail at: <mike.podowski@ci.seattle.wa.us>. For information on the review schedule, including specific dates, times, and places for the public hearings, contact Esther Wilson of SPO at 684-8542 or via email at: <esther.wilson@ci.seattle.wa.us>. Noise Variance Application: Sound Transit has applied to DCLU for a variance from the City's nighttime and weekend construction noise restrictions along the light rail route from downtown Seattle to the University District. As part of its review process, DCLU will hold three public hearings on the noise variance application: Monday, May 8, 7-9 p.m., in Room 1110 of Seattle Central Community College, 1701 Broadway; Wednesday, May 10, 7-9 p.m., at University Lutheran Church, 1604 N.E. 50th Street; and Monday, May 15, 7-9 p.m., at Seward Elementary School, 2500 Franklin Avenue E. For information on DCLU's review of the noise variance application, contact David George of DCLU at 684-7843 or via email at: <david.george@ci.seattle.wa.us>. General Information About Sound Transit: Visit the Sound Transit website at: <www.soundtransit.org>.
(R-permitting-2nd-notice.doc M(L 4/19/00) |