Industry leaders are upset over the approval by the Seattle City Council to increase height limitations in the West Dravus and 15th Avenue area because they believe the change endangers the industrial base of the area.

"We said if they want to develop workforce housing for the industrial area for workers to have someplace to live we'd agree as long as the rezone does not compromise the ability of the industrial area," said Warren Aakervik, member of the an industrial action committee and owner of Ballard Oil. "It's a slap in the face for the fact that the city wants affordable housing. For me they didn't make sure that there were enough safeguards in place."

The Council approved the rezone in November and many supported the construction of affordable workforce housing.

The mayor would appear to disagree with Aakervik. He issued this statement after the Council approved the matter.

"I feel strongly that this development must provide housing that's affordable to our work force and I'm pleased that the Council has agreed to make this a requirement," the Mayor's statement said. "Together, we're taking steps to ensure that our hotel workers, grocery clerks, teachers and nurses have affordable housing options in Seattle."

The Ballard Interbay Northend Manufacturing and Industrial Center, known by most by its acronym, BINMIC, formed an "action committee" and its members felt the city blindsided it by having a quick vote in the Council.

Writing to the City Council before the rezone was approved, John Kane, chairman of the action committee, asked to defer the vote.

"...until the BINMIC Committee, and other stakeholders in the area, have had an opportunity to evaluate the potential impact of the current rezone proposal, especially since the current plan does not require a pre-established set of transportation improvements or a financing plan to implement transportation improvements as a condition to the land use action."

To their dismay, the Council passed the rezone. A response for their request to postpone the decision was given after the vote and came from Council member Richard McIver. McIver had voted against the rezone.

"As I stated during the discussion at the dais there are several provisions that I feel should have been revised," said Councilmember McIver.

Even with the support of McIver left the industry group with concerns about traffic and transportation improvements and for the diminishing industrial areas in the city that they feel would affect the city's future.

Aakervik's biggest concern is that the development will compromise the industrial area and the jobs and resources that will be brought into the area.

"There was suppose to be a Local Improvement District requirement to protect the use of industrial lands that would add street lights to make it easier but right now the traffic that is there is terrible especially when you get out from 16th or 17th Avenue West to get onto Dravus," Aakervik said.

McIver remains concerned.

"As it stands the legislation has no Local Improvement District requirements to ensure that the property owners of the new development will share in the cost of the areas public improvements such as sidewalks and drainage systems," the council member said. "I don't feel that the city should carry the financial responsibility for the infrastructural needs associated with the development of this project."

Without Local Improvement District requirements developers and/or property owners will not have to share the cost of transportation infrastructure improvements or other types of public improvements, which means the city will have to find the money.

Seeing the industrial area as a main source of capital for the city, Aakervik says he thinks the city is getting rid of an industrial asset and creating more liabilities with the rezone.

"In a community everybody wants the maximum amount of assets and minimum amount of liabilities," he said. "So now let's go to the economic base of the city. Its assets are all those businesses that bring capital into the community; all the liabilities are the entities that export that capital. Businesses are the assets, liabilities are the people who live here."

Aakervik said the "city (is) shoving more and more people as a liability into these areas of business and getting rid of the assets, the industrial businesses."

"As the city trades off what they think is right my concern is the future of this city, for my four grandsons and my daughter and son-in-law, that believe there will be a company here in 10 years," said Aakervik. "I want to leave them a legacy that there will be a maritime industry here."

Frustrated and amazed about how much industrial based property is being developed, Aakervik wonders how much more industrial property and jobs the city will take away before they decide they don't need to put anymore people in these areas.

"When you don't have the resource for capital (industrial businesses) coming in you make yourself a bedroom community, as a natural port city can we (Seattle) survive as a bedroom community?"

Allison Espiritu may be reached at 783-1244 or allisone@robinsonews.com.