WEST SEATTLE LIGHT RAIL: Businesses’ new campaign for better relocation help – and more clarity

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As the Sound Transit Board‘s decision on a West Seattle light-rail route draws closer, residents and businesses in its potential path continue looking ahead to what will happen when – and before – construction begins. The official Sound Transit timeline says that’s expected in 2027 – but even before the final route vote, it’s already been talking to some of those potentially affected. And some of the businesses in that category say that the relocation assistance for which they’re likely eligible is not nearly enough to cover the costs of finding and moving to a new site. So they just launched a new awareness and public-support-seeking campaign to ask Sound Transit for more, with an online petition drive and website.

We got first word of this from one of the businesses on the site that’s expected to hold the Delridge station, Ounces, the taproom/beer garden/community-events hub which has been at 3809 Delridge Way SW for almost eight years. We talked with co-proprietor Laurel Trujillo via email; she explains, “Relocation assistance in the financial form and transparency to the community is the big push here. Businesses don’t feel like the community is fully informed of which businesses will be forced to relocate and also on the details around the relocation assistance that is and isn’t provided.” They’ve already talked repeatedly with decisionmakers, she adds: “The sentiment from many of the businesses is that we’ve all had many meetings and discussions with the Sound Transit team, the Mayor, City Council, King County Council and so far nothing has resulted in any hint of a different outcome beyond the $50k max, plus moving costs in Relocation Assistance, nor has any consideration been given to our modification requests for shifts in route design. Because of this, our hope is that the collective voices of businesses and community members can help to ensure that the West Seattle businesses the community knows and loves are able to continue to thrive alongside light rail.”

The website has a rough list of potentially affected businesses, from the north end of Delridge to the proposed Avalon station site in the 35th/Fauntleroy vicinity to the proposed Junction station site at and around Jefferson Square. There’s also an extensive FAQ page which addresses these questions:

Do you support Light Rail to West Seattle?

Where can I see the route and businesses impacted?

Can’t these businesses and light rail exist together?

Don’t you get money to move?

How much do you get to relocate?

Is your relocation guaranteed?

Haven’t you known this was coming?

Can’t light rail just fly over you? Or go under you?

Do you have a choice?

Does Sound Transit cover 100% of your relocation costs?

When does this happen?

So you are just stuck waiting until Sound Transit buys your property?

Is the plan final yet?

Are you provided access to funding via grants or loans to help subsidize costs not provided?

Are you paid for your time/effort to relocate?

Have you started a go fund me?

Have you started to look for a new location yet?

Who makes the final decision to displace businesses?

How can I help?

What are the personal costs for business owners?

Many business owners invested life savings to start their business? Are you reimbursed for this?

Why might some businesses not survive?

On the FAQ page, you can click on any of those questions to see how it is answered. The campaign insists it’s not anti-light rail – the answer to the first FAQ is: “Yes! We support the value and access light rail will bring to our community. We just want to exist with it!”

WHAT’S NEXT: Sometime this summer, Sound Transit says, it will publish the Final Environmental Impact Statement; at some point at least one month (a mandatory period) later, the board will make final routing decisions. And for the businesses, they say they’re waiting in the dark. Trujillo says, “The outstanding question for all of us, is how much EXACTLY will ST cover. This is part of the issue –– many of us can only estimate, because we have to wait until our property is acquired before we can start working with an ST Relocation Agent and go through the exercise to actually know.”

walkerws June 18, 2024 (2:41 pm)

I’m a huge proponent of light rain and think we need to move forward with speed. However, I also believe that $50k is insufficient compensation for many of these businesses. It can be much more expensive for a business to move, especially if they have a specialized build-out or equipment. With all the money being spent on this project, a greater amount should go to the business that will need to be displaced.

Heylady June 18, 2024 (3:23 pm)

I had NO idea of the number of businesses impacted. I have homework to do.

JTM June 18, 2024 (4:56 pm)

Reply

Remember that all 37 business in Jefferson Square are included, some of which are small office spaces for accountants, etc.

DC June 18, 2024 (3:37 pm)

I’ve got an idea, rather than close any businesses, why don’t we put light rail completely in city right-of-way. Permanently close Delridge, Andover, Fauntleroy, and Alaska to all traffic. I’m sure no one will have any issues with that!

West Marge June 18, 2024 (3:50 pm)

Love to see it.

N June 18, 2024 (4:01 pm)

How many years have light rail or a monorail been talked about for West Seattle? Feels like its been talked about & considered a very long time.

BlairJ June 18, 2024 (6:03 pm)

Reply

Since the 1968 & 1970 Forward Thrust rapid transit proposals, which did not get the required 60% voter approval.

Karen June 18, 2024 (4:32 pm)

It looks like many of these businesses are nonprofits or community organizations. I wonder if one of the schools that Seattle Public schools is looking at closing could be given over to the nonprofits and community organizations. There are not a lot of places in West Seattle that can be rented cheaply and those organizations are going to struggle. If SPS allows a school to be used, that would open up funding for some of the other businesses that should admittedly have more financial support for moving and building in a different location

Sam-c June 18, 2024 (7:05 pm)

Reply

I feel like I commented this as an option for Alki Beach Academy. It would make great sense for them I think. School already more set up for an operation lime theirs. 50K is no where close to establishing an entity like that in a new location.

New Deal June 18, 2024 (4:42 pm)

That is a lot to lose plus all the displaced home owners for a train to nowhere (at least to nowhere that a bus doesn’t already serve).

West Marge June 18, 2024 (4:46 pm)

Love to see this. The real human impact to our community has not been as transparent as it should be. Not only will West Seattle lose these businesses, but what about the impact to those employees who will also lose their local jobs in the process? Next list needs to be the number of homes that will be gone, and an FAQ to address the same issues for the people who can’t sell their homes right now because they are in exactly the same seller’s pickle as the local businesses as they hang in limbo.