OFFICERS
President
Randall
Thomsen
Vice President
Diana Dearmin
Treasurer
Rob Wilson
Recording Officer
Richard
Piacentini
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Port
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Magnolia Community Club
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Mr.
Bill Bryant, President
Port of Seattle Commissioners
P.O. Box 1209
Seattle, WA
MAGNOLIA'S COMMUNITY COUNCIL
January 22,2009
Mr.
John Creighton, Commissioner
Port of Seattle
P.O. Box 1209
Seattle, WA
Membership Officer
Ms. Patricia Davis, Commissioner
Scott Forster
Port of Seattle
Past President
P.O. Box 1209
Nancy Rogers
Seattle, WA
TRUSTEES
Chris Balka
Robert Bismuth
Diana Dearmin
Stephen
DeForest
Gene Hoglund
Michele
Marchi
Jose Montano
Marianne Parks
Tom Tanner
Magnolia
Community Club
P.O.
Box
99564
Seattle,
WA
981 39
-
0564
206.283.1 188
Re: Viaduct Replacement Project
Dear President and Commissioners:
Mr.
Lloyd Hara, Commissioner
Port of Seattle
P.O. Box 1209
Seattle, WA
Ms. Gael Tarleton, Commissioner
Port of Seattle
P.O. Box 1209
Seattle, WA
I
am writing on behalf of the Magnolia Community Club and am
requesting that the Port of Seattle (Port) withhold funding support for
.the
recently announced
"
Deep Bored Tunnel
"
as the replacement for the Viaduct
until the Port has received assurances
.the proposed project will provide: (1) a
northwest access point for communities to the north, and that (2) the
replacement project will provide continued capacity to service existing and
planned vehicle trips through the corridor.
The Magnolia Community Club
has
represented Magnolia neighborhood
interests since 1924, making it one of the oldest community councils in the City
of Seattle. As a neighborhood west of downtown Seattle, many of ow residents
are dependent on the Alaskan Way Viaduct
andlor north
-
south city streets for
daily access to and through downtown Seattle. We also recognize that many of
our commercial goods travel these routes, and that the maritime commerce that
surrounds our neighborhood is dependent upon easy and efficient access
through the downtown corridor.
Port of Seattle Commissioners
January 22,2009
Page 2
Our club was pleased to note that the Port's recent statement of January 13,2009
related to the viaduct issued by
Mr.
Tay Yoshitani, in which he asserted interests similar
as those expressed by our organization. Specifically, the Port's statement states
that the
"
Commission called for a solution that ensures access to the Port's cargo, cruise and
fishing terminals
in
the
waterfront,
as
well as Terminal 91 to the north.
"
The Port's
statement also provides
"
we need strong connections for freight traffic between
Duwamish, Interbay, and Ballard.
"
The Port also makes note of the new cruise terminal
at Terminal 91. The Port previously
has
advised that Terminal 91 will generate
approximately 5,000 vehicles per day using
15~
Avenue West to load and unload cruise
ships. We were particularly heartened to read that the Port
"
will
not short change our
cargo, fishing, and cruise customers
"
in regards to the Viaduct replacement project.
The Magnolia Community Club's position, articulated a number of years ago and
restated to our political leaders as late as 2008, is that
any
Viaduct replacement project
must provide a northwest access point for our community and provide continued capacity
to
service existing and planned trips through the corridor. We supported the Port's plans
to establish a cruise ship
tenninal at Terminal 91 on the presumption our expressed
interests would be met.
The recent public announcements regarding the proposed
"
Deep Bored Tunnel
"
project do not adequately address our mutual interests of providing a northwest access
point. The announcements also do not
specifl how the proposed project will provide
continued capacity and mobility to service existing and planned vehicle trips through the
corridor. We are especially concerned that the current proposal does not account for the
Port's intended cruise ship terminal at Terminal 91 and the associated vehicle traffic that
will result.
We request that the Port of Seattle Commission make no financial commitments
to the proposed Viaduct replacement project until the Port receives
firm
commitments
that the project will provide: (1) a northwest access point for our community
as
well as
maritime, fishing, industrial and cruise industries
to
the north; and (2) continued capacity
and mobility to service existing and planned trips through the corridor. In particular, we
request you ensure
tr&c associated
with
the cruise ship terminal at Terminal 91 is
accommodated in a
satisfling manner.
Thank you for your attention to this matter.
Sincerely,
Randall
Thomsen
President (2009)
