North Delridge businesses held a rally on July 11 to raise awareness and support regarding their potential displacement by Sound Transit's plan to extend light rail into West Seattle.

Led by Ounces Taproom owner Laurel Trujillo the group held signs and waved at passing cars, many of whom honked in support. Trujillo said, "The biggest thing that we want to communicate here tonight is that our Ounces is in every business on this block. Our future is uncertain and if light rail is approved in the coming months, this place will be forced to relocate....The sad and stark reality that I face as a business owner is that we are not given. We won't be given the adequate relocation assistance.

At issue is the future of the 14 businesses near the proposed Delridge Station being displaced as indicated in the Draft Enviornmental Impact Statement. The final version of the statement is due this summer.

Sound Transit has said they will compensate businesss that face displacement. Their handbook states:

"Displaced owners and tenants may be eligible for relocation advisory services and payments. If you are required to move, a relocation agent will contact you, answer your questions and provide additional information about relocation assistance advisory services and relocation payments eligibility. However, all properties obtained under this program, whether acquired cooperatively or through eminent domain litigation, are acquired under threat of condemnation."

They get $50,000 and "relocation payments" but the business owners note that in their discussions with Sound Transit to date, they have heard about only one business, used repeatedly as an example of successful relocation. A grocery store in north Seattle has been used for that purpose but earlier in the day, the group SmarterTransit.org at press conference featured a speaker, Tony Fernandez from Everett who was told the same story. He stated that he looked up and spoke to that grocer. He was told that while Sound Transit did pay him $1.2 million, it took him three years to get it, he spent $5 million and in the process lost his house and must keep working to prevent losing everything. He said flatly, "Sound Transit lied."

Skylark Cafe owner Matt Larson said, "I would feel if they're not lying there, they're not sharing all the information that should be shared,"  he continued saying that Sound Transit should tell business owners, "Exactly what we're looking at as far as the timetable and exactly what they are willing to give us. You know, I have the the packet that has all the information as far as what they're going to give us, but there's kind of open-ended promises, if you will. As far as 'we're going to make sure you get moved. We'll do everything we're going to take care of you. It's going to be successful.' But there seems to be a big gap between that and reality. "

Jordan Crawley, Director of Policy and Operations for Alki Beach Academy talked at length about the catch businesses in this situation all face. "We can only go so far in the process before we're no longer entitled to anything. We have to wait until there's an actual offer to purchase our property before we're actually eligible for entitlements from Sound Transit. So we can't go secure a lease in another space because that's technically moving. And if we technically move before Sound Transit purchases, our property or makes an offer to purchase our property. Then we're eligible for nothing. So all we can do is have the conversations with people that we could possibly work with in the future and then hope that those things are still available to take advantage of when the opportunity is actually available to us." He explained that to move Alki Beach Academy would cost approximately $3 million.

All the businesses to one degree or another have been actively seeking new potential locations. For Larson and the Skylark finding a 3000 square foot space where they can feature live local music has proven fruitless thus far. Mode Music next door might have a spot in White Center, but Alki Beach Academy, which provides day care for nearly 200 children has had no luck thus far. 

If you'd like to add your voice to the petition that the businesses hope to present to Sound Transit, visit www.displacedbylightrail.com