A line on a map was at issue during the Des Moines Council meeting on Sept. 24th.

The City of SeaTac has appealed Des Moines' comprehensive plan.

Included in Des Moines' 2009 comprehensive plan is a map that shows Des Moines' preferred light-rail route. The route is east of Pacific Highway South and roughly follows the highway from South 216th Street to South 272nd Street.

Light rail could be coming to 200th street as soon as 2013, Des Moines Public Works director Grant Fredricks said. He said of lot of federal money has been released and the project is moving along quickly.

In the Pacific Ridge area the proposed light rail route briefly enters into SeaTac city lines.

Senior SeaTac city planner Michael Scary said he would have liked to see some language in the report acknowledging the light-rail route as shown on the Des Moines City map could have environmental impacts to the City of SeaTac.

The Sound Transit board determines the light-rail route but cities place preferred routes into their plan maps to show Sound Transit what they would like to see happen.

Because there is no way to know where or what the light rail line is going to look like it is not possible to determine the environmental impacts it might have, according to Des Moines' planning and legal staff. They advised the council there were no legal grounds for SeaTac's appeal.

After much discussion and many questions to Des Moines and SeaTac staff the Des Moines City Council, minus Dave Kaplan who was absent, voted unanimously to deny the appeal made by the City of SeaTac.

The second part of the public hearing discussed possible amendments to be made to the comprehensive plan. Among the amendments being discussed was a modification of language to include possible impacts to SeaTac. So while SeaTac's appeal was denied they may still get their wish.

The public hearing on the plan was continued until Nov. 2.