Jordan Crawley

Director of Policy and Operations | Alki Beach Academy

There are nearly seventy businesses and nonprofits awaiting displacement by Sound Transit’s West Seattle Link Extension project. The laws and policies surrounding the displacement of small businesses and nonprofits do far too little to ensure folks are able to successfully relocate and continue thriving post-displacement. Because of the tension around this issue, it is important I am clear from the beginning — I support the extension of light rail into West Seattle.

Access to sustainable mass transit with the capacity to move an increasing population, especially one that efficiently connects us to the region, is absolutely essential The shortfalls of public policy do not just turn a blind eye to the realities of operating a small business today; they allow those already opposed to projects like this to use our circumstance as a talking point to manipulate others.

For this to stop, we need legislators who are willing to do the work they were elected to do.

Sound Transit’s Property Acquisition and Non-Residential Relocation Handbook (2023)outlines their policies relating to the displacement of businesses, nonprofits, and farm operations. The biggest issue for businesses is that Sound Transit only pays up to $50,000 for “all combined eligible reestablishment expenses”, which are listed in the handbook. (p. 21)

This is not a Sound Transit problem. The cap is a statutory one set by state law, which limits payment for actual, reasonable, and necessary reestablishment expenses to $50,000 or the amount allowed under 42 USC Sec 4622 (which was increased to $33,200 in 2019). Washington’s $50,000 cap was set over two decades ago.

Recognizing this, I worked with community partners and local elected officials to workshop proposals to amend the RCW and the result is the bill now headed to the Senate for consideration — House Bill (HB) 1733. HB 1733 raises the cap on reestablishment expense payments to $200,000 and requires the cap be inflation-adjusted every year. This bill passed two House committees and the full House, earning unanimous support with each vote, and is awaiting consideration by the Senate Law and Justice Committee.

While this new cap still does not match the cost of rebuilding our businesses elsewhere, it gets us significantly closer. It is going to take further collaboration between community and elected leaders to make sure displaced resources receive the support and financial compensation they deserve.

Should HB 1733 pass, Washington will join King County in taking steps in this direction. Thanks to the incredible efforts of Representative Brianna Thomas, Representative Joe Fitzgibbon, and County Councilmember Teresa Mosqueda, we are looking at a much more forgiving landscape for small businesses facing displacement. 

Unfortunately, since 2023 we have heard nothing of substance from the City of Seattle despite repeated attempts to connect on this issue. With the exception of Councilmember Rinck, our city’s “leaders” have shown no interest in supporting the communities affected by the link extension project.

HB 1733 and the County’s partnership have proven how obvious it is that we need to do better by our small business community. Hopefully our city government will match that energy before it is too late.