CITY OF SEATTLE
ORDINANCE __________________
COUNCIL BILL __________________
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AN ORDINANCE relating to the Seattle Department of Transportation; approving a change to the approved alignment for the Central Puget Sound Regional Transit Authority’s (“Sound Transit”) Link Light Rail Transit Project and authorizing the Director of the Seattle Department of Transportation to execute an amendment to the “Agreement between The City of Seattle and Sound Transit for Grant of Non-Exclusive Use of a Light Rail Transit Way as related to the Link Light Rail Transit Project” to include the addition of an infill station at Northeast 130th Street located within the City of Seattle; superseding Section 11.23.440 of the Seattle Municipal Code to allow construction worker parking in related areas of 5th Ave NE; and ratifying and confirming certain prior acts.
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WHEREAS, since 1996, Sound Transit has been implementing the voter-approved Sound Move, Sound Transit 2 (ST2), and Sound Transit 3 (ST3) plans for a high-capacity regional transit system for the Central Puget Sound region; and
WHEREAS, the Sound Move, ST2, and ST3 plans include the following seven electric light-rail lines located wholly or partially in Seattle: Central Link (downtown Seattle to SeaTac); University Link (downtown Seattle to University of Washington); Northgate Link Extension (University of Washington to Northgate); Lynnwood Link Extension (Northgate to Lynnwood); East Link (downtown Seattle to Redmond); West Seattle Link Extension (downtown Seattle to West Seattle); and Ballard Link Extension (downtown Seattle to Ballard); and
WHEREAS, through a series of resolutions (R99-34; R2001-16; R2005-20; R2006-07; R2011-10; R2012-13; and R2015-05), the Sound Transit Board selected the rail alignment, station locations, and maintenance base location for the five projects that are currently under construction or operating in Seattle (City): Central Link; University Link; Northgate Link Extension; East Link; and Lynnwood Link; and
WHEREAS, the City Council approved the alignment, station locations, and maintenance base location for the Sound Transit Central Link, University Link, Northgate Link Extension, East Link, and Lynnwood Link Extension projects in Resolutions 30128 (adopted April 10, 2000), 30993 (adopted September 24, 2007), 31465 (adopted September 16, 2013), and 31784 (adopted December 11, 2017); and
WHEREAS, pursuant to Ordinance 119975, in July 2000, the City and Sound Transit executed an Agreement for the Grant of Non-Exclusive Use of a Light Rail Transit Way as Related to the Central Link Light Rail Transit Project (“Transit Way Agreement”) which reflected the then-current alignment; and
WHERAS, amendments to the Transit Way Agreement were authorized by: Ordinance 120899 in 2002, to include technical corrections; Ordinance 122504 in 2007, to revise the approved alignment for the North Link extension and to include the University Link extension, among other things; Ordinance 124289 in 2013, to revise the approved alignment and to add the Northgate Link and East Link extensions, among other things; and Ordinance 125500 in 2017 to revise the approved alignment and to add the Lynnwood Link extension, among other things; and
WHEREAS, on June 23, 2022, the Sound Transit Board adopted Resolution R2022-17, adopting the NE 130th Street Infill Station project baseline schedule and budget, authorizing the implementation of the NE 130th Street Infill Station; and
WHEREAS, on June 23, 2022, the Sound Transit Board adopted Resolution R2022-18, authorizing the chief executive officer to acquire real property interests to support building the NE 130th Street Infill Station; and
WHEREAS, on June 23, 2022, the Sound Transit Board adopted Resolution M2022-46, authorizing the chief executive officer to execute contract modifications to existing contracts to build the NE 130th Street Infill Station; and
WHEREAS, the City Council approval of the light rail alignment, station locations, and maintenance base location in the City is required by Seattle Municipal Code Chapter 23.80; and
WHEREAS, an amendment to the Transit Way Agreement is required to reflect the addition of the NE 130th Street Infill Station in the City and to allow Sound Transit to proceed with the NE 130th Street Infill Station project; NOW, THEREFORE,
BE IT ORDAINED BY THE CITY OF SEATTLE AS FOLLOWS:
Section 1. Pursuant to Seattle Municipal Code Section 23.80.004, the City hereby approves the alignment of the Sound Transit light rail lines through the city of Seattle, including the location of the light rail stations and maintenance base in the city of Seattle, all as generally described in Exhibit A and depicted in Exhibit B to Attachment 1 to this ordinance. This approval does not waive the City’s regulatory or permitting authority as to any permits or other approvals for the light rail line, stations, and maintenance base that are required by law.
Section 2. This ordinance supersedes the approval of the alignment, station locations, and maintenance base for Sound Transit’s Link light rail lines as described in Resolution 31784.
Section 3. The Director of the Seattle Department of Transportation is authorized to execute an amendment to the Transit Way Agreement, substantially in the form attached as Attachment 1 to this ordinance, acknowledging the revised alignment and station locations for the Link Light Rail Project.
Section 4. Recognizing the unique nature of the NE 130th Infill Station project and to support expedited project delivery by Sound Transit, Seattle Municipal Code Section 11.23.440 is superseded to the extent necessary to authorize the Director of the Seattle Department of Transportation to allow construction worker parking that may otherwise be prohibited by Seattle Municipal Code Section 11.23.440 in areas of 5th Ave NE closed to general purpose traffic for project construction in accordance with applicable design documents and construction approvals.
Section 5. Any act consistent with the authority of this ordinance taken after its passage and prior to its effective date is ratified and confirmed.
Section 6. This ordinance shall take effect and be in force 30 days after its approval by the Mayor, but if not approved and returned by the Mayor within ten days after presentation, it shall take effect as provided by Seattle Municipal Code Section 1.04.020.
Passed by the City Council the ________ day of _________________________, 2022, and signed by me in open session in authentication of its passage this _____ day of _________________________, 2022.
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President ____________ of the City Council
Approved / returned unsigned / vetoed this _____ day of _________________, 2022.
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Bruce A. Harrell, Mayor
Filed by me this ________ day of _________________________, 2022.
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Elizabeth M. Adkisson, Interim City Clerk
(Seal)
Attachments:
Attachment 1 - Amendment No. 4 to the Agreement Between the City of Seattle and Sound Transit for Grant of Non-Exclusive Use of a Light Rail Transit Way as Related to the Link Light Rail Transit Project