Month: April 2011

The Seattle Times reports that McGinn wants to ask voters for $10 million to do 15 percent design on an 8 mile potential light rail line. This is a good first step – it would do enough work to design a real ballot measure for construction, and to start looking for federal money.

I would be concerned about putting even a small measure on the ballot in 2011, but with West Seattle and Ballard residents still looking for solutions since the monorail project and light rail under way to other parts of the city, now is always the best time.

I think it’s important for the city to work with Sound Transit to prevent duplication of effort with the agency’s planning in the same corridor, but with Sound Transit’s work not planned for several years, I don’t see much risk there – Sound Transit can scope their future work to avoid overlap if they feel they can use some of the city findings.

This is encouraging – we haven’t seen any movement in this corridor since funding ST2. Any news is good news!

There’s a new state initiative currently in the signature gathering phase that would tie property tax rates to density in an effort to reduce sprawl. Opposition, led by the Single Family Housing Building Association, is already gathering to fight the initiative. Below the fold I’ll explain the initiative in detail, and why it’s a good idea.

Continue reading “Initiative To Tie Property Taxes, Density”