So this could be a bit of a stumbling block for Chris Hanson’s proposed Seattle arena:
With a public hearing scheduled for Tuesday to determine the proposed two-block vacation of Occidental Avenue south of Safeco Field, 36 members of the state legislature drafted a letter urging the Seattle City Council to vote down the plan.
The letter said the area in question “represents the crossroads of international trade, manufacturing and transportation interests that together form a key economic engine for our state,” arguing that “adding additional pressure to getting goods in and out of Seattle could have devastating effects.”
This pretty much echoes the concerns that the Port of Seattle has had — apparently that $40 million fund for better roads for its trucks didn’t assuage everyone’s fears. State lawmakers don’t have any actual decision-making power over vacating streets, but with this the last big hurdle before Hansen can build his arena — that and getting an actual team, mind you, which is the biggest hurdle of all, but we won’t talk about that for the moment — everyone involved is bringing whatever pressure to bear that they can.
More tomorrow after the hearing, if anything interesting happens. No decisions are expected, but there should be lots of shouting.
The so called legislatures are in the hands with the Port of Seattle $$$. The Seattle City Council makes the final decision. All research shows Occidental Avenue can be vacated! ( this is basically a side service street)
NOT A MAJOR ROAD FOR PORT FUNCTIONS. PLEASE STOP being so negative with your articles this process has been in works for almost 5 years. The t’s have been crossed and the i’s have been dotted.
Seattle City Council tweeted out a reminder of Tuesday’s meeting with what has become a common theme, pictures of an empty street that is “vital” to Port operations.
https://twitter.com/seattlecouncil/status/709758306277937154
Well a port road might only be busy for an hour a day, but if it is needed for an hour a day it can do a lot of work at that time. Moreover I would suspect the port is more concerned not about that particular road, but about all the extra traffic/congestion in that area that would be caused.
Just a thought.
I don’t see a lot of potential for an NBA team being brought in before the MOU expires, but having a street vacation in hand certainly makes it easier and more streamlined for this arena deal to be rolled over/extended by simple councilmanic action.
I still find it amusing that nobody on the council is pushing this towards the ballots after Hansen gave $100,000 to “Voter Approval for Public Funding of Professional Sports Arena Act” in Sacramento.
Maybe it also brings up some security issues. Think large numbers of people at a game and an international cargo container. As I understand it, we already have problems checking international containers.
The Port has had 4 years to produce facts, a study, something to support their claims and have failed to do so.
Everybody knows the activity at Terminal 46 is going south to Terminal 5 after the Port takes $300 million dollars in tax money from me.
Mary, a cargo container would be significantly further away than the current oil-train carrying rail lines directly east of Hansen’s SoDo arena site. They’re literally one block over from this vacated street running through the middle of the arena site.
It’s even more amusing seeing council members Sawant and O’Brien were speakers protesting those oil trains at rallies at King Street station, the light rail transit center Hansen’s arena-goers would use. O’Brien voted for the arena MOU back when.
Of all the reasons to complain about an arena, this does seem like an exceptionally dumb one.
However, dumb doesn’t necessarily equal unsuccessful. As we saw in the Jets-Cablevision fight in Manhattan a decade ago, sometimes the biggest threat to an 800-pound gorilla is a 900-pound gorilla.
I know one way the council could protect 20,000 people at 200 events a year…… by not vacating the street necessary for this site to house an arena.
“Seattle City Council Member Kshama Sawant spoke at the rally and joined the demonstration as they marched from Century Link to Safeco in a silent procession holding photos and names of the 47 people who died in Lac-Mégantic Quebec during an oil train explosion in 2013.
Safeco Field and Century Link Field both sit within 200 yards of a rail line that sees several trains pulling the same Baaken Crude that exploded in Lac-Mégantic.”
““Not Under Our City,” said the sign behind speakers at a Tuesday rally outside King Street Station above the entrance to Seattle’s century-old railroad tunnel, through which trains pass en route to Anacortes and Cherry Point refineries.
“The railroad companies have spent centuries figuring out how to make it difficult for us to regulate them,” Seattle City Council member Mike O’Brien told the small crowd. “The laws that protect these railroads — these aren’t the laws of nature.”
…
With a microphone in hand, however, O’Brien declared: “The federal government just said an oil train explosion a month?” Revving up a crowd is not making policy.”
“Seattle City Council Member Kshama Sawant spoke at the rally and joined the demonstration as they marched from Century Link to Safeco in a silent procession holding photos and names of the 47 people who died in Lac-Mégantic Quebec during an oil train explosion in 2013”
…so they marched from the north sidewalk of Royal Brougham Way to the south sidewalk of Royal Brougham Way?