The Port of Seattle is appealing a decision by the city to allow a housing development it says will harm maritime cargo operations.
The port and other stakeholders want to overturn a vote by the Seattle City Council in March to rezone a portion of the area known as Sodo for affordable residential development.
The ordinance is an “unlawful rezone,” the port said in a statement posted to its website, that will bring residential development to the port’s doorstep. Truck traffic through the district and other activity are sure to spur complaints officials have said would chip away at the port’s ability to conduct day-to-day operations.
The appeal filed in King County Superior Court wants implementation of the ordinance blocked and to be found in violation of state land use policies, the port said.
“The Port feels we must take these actions to defend industrially zoned lands critical to our economic development and job creation mission,” said Port of Seattle Executive Director Steve Metruck, in the statement. “The harmful impact to maritime and industrial operations caused by this spot rezone were not dutifully considered, and there are many inconsistencies with state, county, and local land use regulations.”
The port claims the rezone would mostly benefit hedge fund billionaire Chris Hansen, who owns most of the property in question and at one time had hoped to build an arena to lure the NBA back to Seattle.
“We are concerned that this action may create unnecessary and unneeded risk to our operations, as well as greater uncertainty for our customers to get Washington goods out of our region to the rest of the world, which may impact the trade economy statewide,” said The Northwest Seaport Alliance CEO John Wolfe, in a statement posted to the port’s website.
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