Petition of Seattle City Light to vacate Pontius Avenue North between the south margin of John Street and the north margin of Denny Way.
Thank you. Questions or comments? Those in favor of confirming the appointments listed in agenda items 12 and 13 vote. I oppose Vote No. The appointments are confirmed unanimously. The report of the Transportation Committee. Please read item 14. The Report of the Transportation Committee. Agenda Item 14 Clerk File 313195. The petition of Seattle City Light to vacate Pontious Avenue North between the south margin of John Street and the north margin of Denny Way. The committee recommends the full council grant the petition as conditioned. Please read item 15 as well. Agenda Item 15 Clerk File 314305 Council Concept Approval and waiver or modification of certain development standards to allow development of an electrical substation. The Denny Substation located at 1250 Denny Way Project Number 3014772 Type five. The committee recommends the full council approve the project. Councilmember Rasmussen. Thank you. The Council is requested to take two separate actions to enable the construction of the City Lights substation at Denny Way. First in item 14. The council is being requested to approve the vacation of Pontious Avenue North between John Street and Denny Way. The second item is item 15, and that would grant the waiver of several land use standards to allow the construction of the substation. This new substation is being built to meet the increased need for reliable electricity in the South Lake Union area. The project includes construction of the substation itself at John Street and Denny Way, and the construction of an underground distribution network that will connect power to the surrounding buildings. And finally, construction of a transmission line from the existing Massachusetts substation in the Sodo neighborhood to the new Denny Way substation. Our street vacation policies provide that vacations may be approved only when they serve the public interest and when a public benefits associated with the project are provided by the petitioner. After several discussions before the Transportation Committee, including a public hearing, the committee has determined that the vacation is in the public interest because vacating a Pontius will allow for construction of the substation in a manner that will include public benefits sought by the neighborhood. And it is supported by our Department of Transportation, which is determined that this portion of Pontiac's Avenue North is a minor street and its closure will not negatively affect the street cred. And then finally, the project does have the support of the adjacent community. Following extensive public involvement with the community to determine what they would like in terms of public benefits. There are nine distinct public benefits associated with the project and their value totals approximately $10 billion. Benefits are listed on page three of the attachment in the Clark file, but to comment on upon several of those are outlined a couple of those several of those there are improved pedestrian crossings that Danny way a 6000 square foot off leash dog park a community meeting room a public art will be provided on site and a new covered bus, shelter and transit hub along Danny way. I'd like to thank Seattle City Light for their work with the community and also to those in the community who have participated in our community meetings and attended the public hearing and work with City Light to develop the public benefits for the project. With regard to the hour, would you like to take action on this proposal to vacate first and then we'll I'll talk about the land use action and we can vote on that separately. Okay. So that's the recommendation of the committee to grant conceptual approval of the vacation. Thank you. Questions or comments? Those in favor of granting the petition as conditioned vote I. By. Those opposed vote no. The motion carries, the petition is granted as conditioned and the chair will sign the conditions of the City Council. Item 15. Thank you. This is the second part of the approval that's being requested of the council now to enable the construction of the Denny Way substation. The project also requires waiver of several land use standards by the Council. This is the first project of its kind in Seattle in 30 years, and when the South Lake Union land use development standards were developed, they weren't done with the construction of an electrical substation in mind. So for that reason, in order to build a substation, there have to be seven land use waivers made by the council. Each waiver was reviewed and discussed twice in the Transportation Committee. And the findings, conclusions and decision statement that's included in your Clark file provides a complete and succinct summary of each of the waivers. Following the committee review and discussion, the committee determined that the requested modifications of development standards are necessary to allow the project to be constructed and the site to effectively function as an electric substation again . The Transportation Committee unanimously recommends approval of this action to grant the land use waivers. Thank you. Questions or comments? We're voting on item 15. Those in favor of approving the project and granting the modification of development standards. Vote I II. Those oppose Vote No. The motion carries, the project is approved and the chair will sign the findings, conditions and decision of the City Council. Adoption of other resolutions. Please read item 16. Agenda Item 16. Resolution 31608. Setting the public hearing on the petition of City Investors for LLC for the vacation of a subterranean portion of the alley and block 89 Denny's Fifth Avenue, fifth addition to North Seattle in the South Lake Union neighborhood of Seattle, according to Chapter three 5.17 Revised Code of Washington. Seattle in this code 15.62 and Clerk's file 313894 Introduced August 17, 2015. Thank you, Councilmember Rasmussen. This is a routine resolution that establishes September 22nd as a hearing date for the vacation of a requested proposal to vacate a subterranean part of the right of way in the Denny Triangle neighborhood. The alley is in the block where the Denny play field in the South Lake Union Discovery Center allow her now located. Do you want to move adoption of the resolution and. The I would move adoption of this resolution setting September 22nd as the hearing. Date. Second, are there any questions or comments? Those in favor of adopting the resolution vote i. I oppose vote no. The resolution is adopted unanimously and the chair will sign it. Is there any other business to come before the council? The Select Committee on Affordable Housing will meet beginning at 345. 5 minutes from now, the council's adjourned. Thank you.