Mayor Bruce Harrell's State of the City Address carried some potential impacts for the Westside.
The address outlined several initiatives with potential impacts for the West Seattle and Ballard communities. A key focus was on expediting light rail delivery.
Transportation and Transit
• Light Rail Expansion: The mayor plans an Executive Order to expedite light rail to West Seattle and Ballard, acknowledging the clamor for expansion in the region.
• Office Expansion: A newly expanded Office of Waterfront, Civic Projects & Sound Transit, led by Director Angela Brady, will coordinate a staff surge of up to 50 city employees to support light rail project design, engineering, and station area planning.
• Permitting: The city will propose legislation to ease the permitting process, potentially saving over a year of project time.
Aurora Avenue North and Ballard
• Northern Lights Project: The city plans to announce the Northern Lights Project later in the year to redefine the Aurora Avenue North area, optimizing existing assets such as Bus Rapid Transit, Bitter Lake Playfield, restaurants, and small businesses. The city will seek community input on the project. The project aims to create a neighborhood that inspires the community, moving away from strip malls and illicit activities.
City-Wide Initiatives with Local Impact
• Climate Action: An upcoming Executive Order will update the 2013 Climate Action Plan to reduce emissions, build resilience, and grow a green economy through union jobs, impacting all Seattle neighborhoods.
• Small Business Support: A suite of actions is planned to help small businesses, focusing on cost relief, targeted public safety, permitting improvements, and advocacy. This includes reintroducing the storefront repair fund and a new marketing campaign.
• Families, Education, Preschool, and Promise Levy: Details of the proposed renewal of this levy will be announced in March, with a focus on childcare, after-school care, and summer programs. The aim is to support young people from "cradle to career".
• Public Safety: The CARE Department is expanding citywide, including to West Seattle. The department focuses on behavioral health and provides support to those suffering on the streets.
• Housing: The One Seattle Comprehensive Plan aims to double zoning capacity and create at least 120,000 homes. The city is also working to cut red tape in the building process to accelerate housing production.
