Your letters are working!

Your letters concerning the Montlake Market to Senator Jamie Pedersen, Speaker Frank Chopp, and Representative Nicole Macri are working. Go to https://p2a.co/wc3MPgi to write to them directly if you haven’t already.

Rep. Nicole Macri and Sen. Jamie Pedersen were successful in getting an amendment into this year’s transportation budget that requires WSDOT to do everything it can to protect the Market.  Rep. Macri has reached out to us and has expressed her concerns and dissatisfaction with WSDOT’s progress so far in trying to save the Market.

Rep. Macri concerns are such that she recently sent a letter to Washington Transportation Secretary Roger Millar requesting that he outline what WSDOT is doing, and will do, to save the Market.  The letter is below:

Dear Secretary Millar:

I hope this email finds you doing well. I appreciate the efforts of your team to keep me updated about the SR 520 project and its impact on constituents in my district. It’s a vital project for our region, and I’m grateful for your responsiveness to the concerns of the residents who are most impacted by the construction process.

I’m reaching out because I’ve received over 150 emails from constituents in the past 3 days regarding SR 520; please see an example below. I feel it’s important for me to reiterate my request to you directly that WSDOT take action to the maximum extent practicable to preserve the grocery store in Montlake.

To this end, I appreciate your prompt responses to the following questions, or directing me to someone who can respond promptly.

1. What steps is WSDOT planning to take to “work with its design-build contractor to ensure to the maximum extent practicable that the building housing any grocery store or market currently located on parcel number 1-23190 will be preserved,” as outlined in ESSB 6106 (2018)? Are there cost implications to preserving the market, which the legislature can consider in 2019?

Related,

1. What are the next steps for WSDOT acquiring the property now that the Supreme Court denied the appeal?
2. Does WSDOT have any obligation to relocate the business or assist the operator in finding another place of business under current law?  Does WSDOT have other community or business-related mitigation responsibilities?  If so, what are they?

2. What steps does WSDOT currently plan to take to “meet and confer regularly with residents in the vicinity of the parcel regarding the status of the project and its effects on any grocery store or market currently located on the property,” as outlined in ESSB 6106 (2018)?

Related,

1. SR 520 staff previously mentioned to me that WSDOT intends to hold a public meeting shortly following the selection of a ‘likely’ contractor and before the practical design workshop.  Is this meeting scheduled? If so, what is the agenda?
2. Once WSDOT owns the land, how will they communicate with the operator and provide updates on status of the building?
3. It’s critical that the outreach to the community is not simply information sharing but includes opportunities for community feedback and input to the project as it is implemented – hence the legislative direction to “meet and confer”.  What is the community outreach plan for the contractor?  How will WSDOT ensure they are responsive to the community as the project continues?
4. When is the practical design workshop and who specifically will be involved?  Is there an opportunity for public input once the practical design workshop is over, or will WSDOT and the contractor simply share results with the community?

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For those of you, who have not written, please do.  The process works. Go to https://p2a.co/wc3MPgi to write to them directly.

Jamie.Pedersen@leg.wa.gov

(360) 786-7628

frank.chopp@leg.wa.gov

(206) 381-1220

Nicole.Macri@leg.wa.gov

(360) 786-7826

For those of you, who have written, please send an email of thanks to Rep. Nicole Macri for her support. nicole.macri@leg.wa.gov

We are hoping that Sen. Pedersen and Speaker Chopp voice their same concerns.