Regarding: October Meeting on Ballot Prop 1 Transportation Levy featuring SDOT (plus Property Taxes, Zoning Changes, Lincoln Athletic Field, Waterway 20, etc.)

We have several important updates and events coming up that we want to share with you, including a upcoming live discussion on Ballot Proposition 1 Transportation Levy to “Move Seattle” with SDOT at our next WCC meeting on Thursday 10/17 at 7:00. See more details below. 

Our live meetings are valuable opportunities to engage with issues that will directly impact our neighborhood and city. Please mark your calendars and join us in shaping the future of Wallingford!

1.) This Week! Save the Date! October WCC Meeting (Thursday 10/17 at 7PM) 

Date: Thursday, October 17
Time: 7:00 PM – 9:00 PM

Location: Senior Center, Suite 140, Good Shepherd, 4649 Sunnyside Ave.
(Note: This event will not be live-streamed.)

Key Topic: Ballot Proposition 1 Transportation Levy to “Move Seattle”

Speakers from the Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT), Meghan Shepard or Dan Anderson, will provide insights on the proposed $1.5 billion levy. They will cover planned improvements and what it means for your taxes. 

Seattle voters will decide on the biggest transportation levy in Seattle’s history, impacting property owners, renters and businesses. “Property owners would pay a rate of $.65 cents for every $1,000 of assessed value”. The owner of a median priced home assessed at $804,000 would pay an estimated $520 a year or about $230.00 more than they pay now through 2032. This levy is 75% larger than the previous levy passed in 2016.  

Why Attend?

• Understand the specific transportation initiatives the levy supports.
• Learn how much the levy will cost Seattle residents and businesses.

Key Actions

• Register to Vote! Your vote is your voice! Be registered to vote and informed on upcoming ballot initiatives impacting our neighborhoods.
• Voting Deadline: Ballots must be returned by Tuesday, November 5, by 8 PM. You can also vote in person on Election Day.

Additional Resources for Pre/Review: 

• Seattle City Council: SDOT 2024 Transportation Levy Overview & Toolkit
• Seattle Office of the City Clerk: Seattle City Council Bill CB120788, Proposition 1 Transportation Levy Ballot.  Click on Attachment “Item 3” for Itemized Transportation Levy – Spending Breakdown. 
• Seattle Channel.org City Inside/Out: Transportation Levy episode 10/4/24 (27 min.)
• Seattle Times: Vote No on Prop. 1, Levy to Move Seattle by Nina Martinez, Margaret Pageler, and Alex Pedersen (former Dist. 4 City Council member, Alex was an advocate for residents backing developer’s transportation impact fees to reduce the burden of regressive property taxes although the previous council voted this option down in a 5 to 4 vote. Ask why.)
• Seattle Times: Vote Yes on Prop. 1, Levy to Move Seattle by Kirk Hovenkotter, Katie Garrow and Lars Erickson
• Seattle City Council Budget Overview – Demystified

2.) Wallingford Transportation News

Wallingford Healthy Streets has transitioned from a temporary to a permanent fixture, expanding the route under SDOT’s “Safe Routes to Schools” program.

• Project Overview & Route Map 

3.) 9/25 WCC Meeting Presentation (recap) with King County Tax Assessor, John Wilson. (Highlights in case you missed the September meeting.)

Take advantage of the most recent senior exemption program for tax relief to reduce your property taxes if your income was $84,000 or below in 2023 and you are at least 62 years of age. See details of applying for property tax relief at their website. 

Co-presenter, Jeff Darrow, Residential Division Director notes: Property tax revenue collected recently comes primarily from residential properties at about 80% of total revenue with only about 20% of total revenue coming from commercial properties. The drop in revenue from commercial properties was explained as the large numbers of commercial buildings sitting unoccupied.

4) Zoning Changes: HB 1110 “Middle Housing” Bill impacts for Seattle 

With the passage of  HB1110 “Middle Housing” bill in the 2023 legislative session, the City of Seattle is now required to allow at least 4 units on all residential lots, and at least 6 units on lots located within a quarter mile of a “major transit stop” or where at least two units are “affordable housing.”  These changes are anticipated to have a positive impact on property values, potentially leading to increased property tax assessments in accordance with the “highest and best use” principle.

It is important to note that legislators in Olympia are currently considering a proposal to raise the cap on property taxes to 3% and that the current 1% cap on annual property tax increases does not extend to levies that have been approved through a voter referendum.

More info and articles on HB1110. 

5) Update on Public Access to Waterway 20

When Waterway 20, adjacent to the harbor patrol docks and Gas Works Park, was unlawfully fenced off from public use by the harbor patrol more than a decade ago, the Wallingford Community Council (WCC) formally submitted an application to the state authorities to reinstate this neighborhood public access to Lake Union. 

The state’s Department of Natural Resources (DNR) determined that the site had been contaminated by hazardous toxins, partially as a result of materials stored on the site by the harbor patrol. Comprehensive studies conducted to assess contamination levels and effective remediation strategies are finally nearing completion and, although the DNR is prepared to engage in discussions on a timeline for reinstating public access, the city of Seattle is now expressing resistance to the reopening. 

Join the WCC Shoreline Committee to be actively involved in restoring public access to Lake Union and protecting our shoreline habitats.

6) Lincoln Athletic Field (Seattle Public Schools / Wallingford Park, Meridian Park, etc.) 

Seattle Public Schools (SPS) is seeking community feedback on the proposed site for a new athletic field to serve Lincoln High School and Hamilton Middle School. The need for this field has become urgent with the planned demolition of Memorial Stadium, where Lincoln’s football team practices and plays and long daily commutes for student athletes to practice on other fields. 

Funds for the Lincoln field are earmarked in the 2022 Building, Technology, Academics, and Athletics (BTA V) Capital Levy, supported by property taxes. SPS notes that it has “not made a final decision” on the location, and community engagement is critical as the project moves forward.

At a public meeting on September 19th, SPS focused on three possible locations: Wallingford Playfield, Meridian Park, and Queen Anne Bowl. Wallingford Playfield is a leading contender due to its proximity to both schools. Two potential field layouts at Wallingford Playfield were discussed, both requiring the relocation of the playground and possibly the wading pool. The proposed field would feature synthetic turf and LED lighting, but concerns remain about green space access, shared community use, mature tree removal, parking, and traffic.  

Another option being not presented at the meeting but being circulated in the community is restoring the practice field to its original location on the north side of the school, necessitating relocation of the current staff parking lot or lidding the lot with an elevated field. 

Wallyhood.org has recently summarized the issue in this article. 

Action Needed:

• Read the project description and recently updated FAQs from the SPS project team website.  Here you can also share your thoughts directly with SPS using their “Let’s Talk” online feedback form.
• Contact your City Council representatives and Seattle Parks and Recreation to express your views.
• Stay tuned for the next public meeting on this topic. (a 2nd meeting date is yet still to be announced by SPS).