“I am a strong advocate of regional trails. However, trading the county’s ownership of Boeing Field for a trail corridor needs to be carefully analyzed and completely scrutinized,” said Council Chair Larry Phillips. “We need to ensure value for the dollar is received and public benefit realized over the long term before any decision is made. The Airport is a major economic engine for the region. The public needs all the details.”
“This is a major proposal that would have far-reaching effects on both King County and the Port of Seattle,” said Councilmember Dow Constantine, chair of the Council’s Annual Budget Reconciliation and Adoption Committee. “The Council’s job now is to weigh its implications—financial and otherwise—and to carefully review whether such a trade would clearly benefit the people of King County. As the Councilmember whose district includes Boeing Field, I need to know more details about the Port’s plans.”
“It is a creative idea, but the bottom line is whether
it is a good deal for King County taxpayers," said Councilmember
Bob Ferguson, chair of the Council’s Capital Budget Panel that is
now examining the Airport’s 2007 budget request.
“This is a very interesting proposal. We need to do our due diligence
and be responsible to find out more details,” said Councilmember
Kathy Lambert, vice-chair of the Council’s Annual Budget Reconciliation
and Adoption Committee. “The Council approved $8.6 million to buy
the Fisher Flour Mill site. We need to see a breakdown of what we have
put into the site, and the value we will see returned through the proposed
deal.”
The King County Council on July 14, 2003 approved the purchase of the former Fisher Flour Mill site on Seattle’s Harbor Island, with an eye towards turning the property into a solid waste intermodal transportation site. The Council has been working for the past two-and-a-half years with 26 cities in the King County solid waste system to write a Transfer System and Waste Export Plan, planning for the day when the county’s Cedar Hills landfill reaches capacity. The county’s solid waste system serves 1.4 million customers who produce 1-million tons of waste per year.
The Council
in 2001 adopted a Comprehensive Solid Waste Management Plan that requires
that the county transport its solid waste to landfills outside of the
county for final disposal once the Cedar Hills landfill has reached capacity,
which is estimated to occur in 2012. One of the possible alternatives
for transport is shipping the county’s solid waste through an intermodal
facility owned and operated by the county. An intermodal facility transfers
garbage from trucks to railcars or barges for shipment to distant landfills.
Phone: (206) 296-1000 | Fax: (206) 296-0198 | TTY/TDD:
(206) 296-1024 | Toll Free: (800) 325-6165
Mailing Address: King County Courthouse, 516 Third Avenue, Room 1200,
Seattle, WA 98104-3272