On Monday Metropolitan King County officials and Port of Seattle Commissioners met to sign the paperwork for the complicated deal between the Port of Seattle, King County, and the BNSF railroad. The Port will buy the BNSF tracks from the railway and allow King County to keep the right of way in the public domain.
But what’s the future of the rail line? What’s the future of a trail? I’ve added links to the some of the news articles about the deal and will highlight some of the key issues raised in each article. It’s interesting to compare what’s reported in each article. The different newspapers do not see the issues in exactly the same light. This is not surprising since the issues surrounding the trail and/or rail line are still unclear and very much up in the air.
Several constants in this saga are:
The BNSF is selling the rail line to the Port for $107 million dollars.
The Port has granted King County an easement to develop a trail on 32 miles of the corridor.
Federal law requires the train line be “rail banked”, kept for possible future use as a train line. The tracks will remain in place. This will keep the line available for public use and ownership.
The port will receive $1.9 million dollars from King County for the use of an easement for a hiking/biking trail along the Renton to Woodinville stretch of the rail line and the 7 mile spur from Woodinville to Redmond.
The Everett Herald had an interesting story summarizing Monday’s inking of the deal. The Herald reflected the Snohomish County Council point of view.
“ Snohomish County wants leverage sooner and is working to keep the rails in place for commuter trains all the way to tech job centers on the east side of Lake Washington.
“We think we can have the rails and the trails,” Somers (Snohomish County Council Chairman) said.
Somers is pushing for a deal with a private company called GNP Railway to provide daily commuter trains on the route from Snohomish to Bellevue as soon as next year. The county is negotiating with the company chairman Tom Payne.
“If we can team up with Tom Payne and get status with the federal government, the port and King County have to deal with us.”
Snohomish County wants rail.
“The port isn’t interested in long-term ownership of the corridor, so questions to be worked out include who would ultimately own the corridor and run commuter rail over it, said Port Commissioner John Creighton. “We’re holding the corridor now, but if Sound Transit determines it can make use of the corridor, we would like to sell it to Sound Transit, get our money out, and invest it in our core business.”
Both The Seattle P-I and The Seattle Times weighed in with their take on the future for the rail/trail. The Seattle P-I’s article was the most comprehensive summary of the story. Here are some additional issues raised in the P-I article:
Previously, a study was done to the tune of $800,000 by The Puget Sound Regional Council. This study stated:
“In May 2007 the Puget Sound Regional Council published a study that found Sound Transit and the state Department of Transportation’s strategy of using a series of rapid buses to serve commuters was more feasible than developing high capacity rail transit along the Eastside rail corridor.”
A new survey is being conducted and will be completed by February, 2009. The cost for this study is $340,000, after $800,000 has already been spent to say the commuter line is not viable in King County! Part of the money for the study is being paid by the Discovery Institute, which has a vested interest in seeing the commuter line developed, since this very group is hoping to develop the commuter line. This second study is being conducted with funds from a source that hopes to gain from the outcome of the study. Hmm….
It’s important to have thorough and impartial studies completed, studies which demonstrate the actual cost per rider and the full cost of developing the trail and rail line. It’s important to have the proper public process for the trail and/rail line. Whatever is decided must be the result of careful, thorough analysis and not just a band-aid solution resulting from the failure of Proposition 1.
Sellers had a 15.9% chance of selling a condo on Seattle’s Eastside in April of 2008. ( click on 2008 year to date statistics in the link above for a chart showing the condo report)
April, 2008 1392 condos for sale, 222 condos sold, 15.9% chance of selling.
March, 2008 1277 condos for sale, 208 condos sold, 16% chance of selling.
April, 2007 621 condos for sale, 377 condos sold, 60% chance of selling.
Condo values on the Eastside continue to go up. Last month prices increased over 7% from last year and this month prices are up 12.6%. This is not to say it’s easy to sell a condo. Clearly, the actual number of sales is down considerably, by 41%.
Pricing a condo for sale should be based on the amount of competition and the most recent sales. Sales from even a few months ago are out of date. Understanding the competition when you go on the market is the key to a successful sale. Pricing must be competitive so a condo stands out from the pack.
Attention all home buyers! Here’s a brief update on some changes in financing I heard about from Steve Tedrow of Windermere Mortgage:
Conforming Jumbo loan rate is now at 5.25% for a 5/1 ARM, only 1/8% higher than conventional, non-jumbo loan. Fixed jumbo rates are at 5.875%
Limited or no documentation loans are dead and gone.
Credit scores need to be above 700 for almost all of today’s loans.
Financing regs and requirements are changing from moment to moment, so check with a lender you trust for the very latest information.
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(click on the each area name for a chart showing the latest stats in the area)
The plateau: Sammamish, Issaquah, North Bend, and Fall City
Sellers had a 15.4% chance of getting a home sold, UP from 14.5% last month and DOWN from 29.4% last year. Median home prices were down by 6.2%, from $637,000 to $597,639. Inventory was up by 48.8% and sales declined by 22% from last year.
Sellers had a 19% chance of getting a home sold, DOWN from 21.7% last month, and DOWN from 46.0% last year. Median sales price increased from $569,000 to $608,998. Inventory was up 110% and sales were down from 63 sales to 55 homes, a 12.7% decline.
Sellers had a 10.6% chance of selling a home, DOWN from 12.3% last month and DOWN from 25.9% last year. Median price decreased by 19% to $600,000 from $741,150. Inventory was up 54.5% and sales were down almost 36.7%.
Woodinville/Bothell/Kenmore/Duvall
Sellers had a 12.5% chance of selling a home, a minimal change from 12.3% last month and DOWN from 37% last year. Median price was down to $484,450 from $514,950, a 5.9% decrease. Inventory was up by 60.1% from last year and sales declined by 45.9%.
Sellers had a 8.46% chance of selling a home, DOWN from 10.7% last month and DOWN from 30.5% last year. Median price declined by .03%, from $710,000 to $707,950. Inventory was up by 62.6% and sales were down by 54.8%.
Sellers had a 9.03% chance of selling a home, UP from 7.26%, and DOWN from 28.3% last year. Median pricing increased by 42% to $1,399,000 from $985,000. Inventory climbed by 106.2% and sales declined by 34.1%.
Redmond/Education Hill/ Carnation
Sellers had a 14.0% chance of selling a home, DOWN slightly from 14.8% last month, and DOWN from 20.9% last year. Median pricing increased by 13.1% from $577,015 to $652,450. Inventory increased by 71% and sales dropped by 14.5%.
County wide, inventory is up from January’s numbers. On the eastside 2963 homes were on the market in January and now there are 3985 homes for sale, a 26% increase. The chances of selling in the different eastside areas varied very little from March’s numbers. However, if sales were down in an area, there was no absolute correlation with median price. Even if sales were down, the median price could still go up. The median price was up from last April in four of the eastside areas and down in three of the areas.
If you are trying to get a feel of the market in a particular area, look at several months worth of data. This will give the most realistic view of the market. Pay particular attention to the increase in inventory in your area. Sellers. regardless of what’s happened in a previous month, make sure you understand how much actual competition there is in your area before establishing a sales price and going on the market.
Remember sellers, it is price and condition in this market. Homes are selling, but as we all know, competition for the buyer is fierce.
Come to King County Council’s meeting on April 28th at 9:30 AM on the 10th floor of The King County Courthouse building, 516 3rd Avenue, Seattle. Listen, learn, speak about the trail opportunities on the existing rail line.
For more about the meeting and the issues, check out this post on my Kirkland blog and this article in this morning’s Seattle Times.There will be several meetings coming up on the eastside in the next week in which you can learn more about the issues. I’ll let you know about these upcoming meetings.
I just received the April email newsletter from Bellevue Towers, The LEED certified high rise condos in Bellevue. The newsletter announced the restaurants coming to the complex.
(Photo taken a few months ago)
Purple Cafe and Wine Bar’sowners will open 3 different restaurants in the complex. The Bellevue Towers will be the home to the 4th Purple Cafe and Wine Bar, after Kirkland, Seattle, and Woodinville. Two other new concept restaurants will also open at the Towers, a coffee/dessert cafe, and a Latin/Mexican restaurant.
(Original Purple Cafe and Wine Bar in Woodinville.)
From the April Bellevue Towers email newsletter:
How Green Are You? Dwell Magazine Wants to Know
April 22, 2008
This just in my inbox today: Dwell Magazine’s Green Award, is a contest sponsored by Dwell magazine and the American Institute of Architects. Through June 20th, the sponsors are looking for the best “green” or sustainable projects. According to Dwell’s criteria, projects will be judged on the basis of functionality, originality, sustainability, and cost effectiveness. The prize? $2000 towards a future “green” project.
I’ve been subscribing to Dwell magazine for a few years now and find them to be on the cutting edge in many of their articles on sustainable, affordable home design, materials, and styles. The magazine also has articles about small homes, remodels, furniture, and modular housing. All interesting stuff.
More News About King County Washington Animal Shelters
April 17, 2008
Here is a summary of some of the immediate fixes planned and some of the issues discussed in the above link to The Seattle Times:
“New cat cages, dog runs, more staff and stronger efforts to decrease the number of animals euthanized relieve problems of overcrowding and lax animal care. This is only a down payment. Longer term, lawmakers ought to ponder what it would take to run a model animal-care facility and whether that is a task best left to vendors — for example, the Humane Society.Comparisons between the county’s animal-shelter program and the Humane Society set up a false dichotomy. The county takes in several times as many animals. The Humane Society largely gets animals from families who can no longer care for them. The county gets stray dogs and feral cats. Also, the county is responsible for humans and animals, creating a constant tension for funds.
Strengthened partnerships with the Humane Society and advocacy organizations such as PAWS can help. A set of long-range proposals is expected to be presented to the council by late summer.
With the initial urgency abated, the Council ought to examine successful models around the country, including San Francisco and Charlottesville, Va. There is time to get this right.”
The Seattle PI’s latest article cited a study completed by The Veterinary School at University of California at Davis commissioned by the Council. The study also deplored conditions at the shelter.
Ironically, the attempts to cut back on euthanasia rates, may have also contributed to the problems.
“In 2007, the council approved a directive to reduce the euthanasia rate to 20 percent in 2008 as part of a policy to avoid putting animals to death for reasons other than incurable illness or intractable behavior problems. But that comes with a down side, the report suggests.”
This continues from the PI article:
“Eliminating euthanasia for space (lack of capacity) has caused a substitution of euthanasia or death for health and behavior reasons that are often shelter-acquired problems related to stress, crowding and increased exposure to infectious diseases,” the report says. “This systematic policy has led to significant animal welfare issues, individual animal suffering and has likely caused increased shelter death.”
The UC Davis report had this to say about the previous allegations from Nathan Winograd reported in a previous post and on many media outlets:
“As for the Winograd report, the agency says it includes “many helpful suggestions” for improving care, but adds, “The most disturbing accusations … are simply not true.” The response defends Sims, saying he is “particularly known for his commitment to animal care.”
By the way, The King County Animal Fund referenced above has been building up for about 20 years. The fund has about $570,000, raised from donations given when people license their pets. Let’s hope the county uses the money judiciously and wisely for the welfare of these dogs and cats. It’s about time!
The comments were hot and heavy from many people at last night’s town hall meeting in Burien between the Metropolitan King County Council and King County residents regarding the conditions at King County Animal Shelters. Volunteers at the shelters came out to support shelter workers who work in less than desirable conditions and others came out to demand changes to the system and the facilities. The Seattle Times reported on last night’s contentious meeting. It appears last night’s meeting was an opportunity for public input, without much resolution. KOMO Radio also had the story today.
However, The Seattle Post-Intelligencer had a story that mirrored much of the information I’d received from Al Dams of King County Animal Control. If you read the comments in the Soundoff section after the article in the Seattle PI, Mud Baby’s comments about the situation identify all the important points.
I posted an article a few days ago with comments from the email I’d received from Al Dams in response to my earlier articles on the dire straits of the animal shelters. Al Dams outlined a three pronged plan for improving the shelters.
Regardless of what’s happened in the past, we need to move forward in this county to insure animals are protected, well cared for, and adopted into good homes.
Better News About King County, Washington Animal Shelters
April 12, 2008
I must have hit a nerve last week. I found a message from Al Dams from King County in my inbox. Al must have read the article I wrote last week about the deplorable conditions at the King County Animal Shelters. It’s been all over the news. Blogs were atwitter about the terrible conditions in our county animal shelters. I’ve excerpted the key points from Al Dam’s email message below. The Council’s next steps and future plans are outlined as follows:
“In the short term, the County will replace all of the cat cages and add dog runs in a separate area on the Kent shelter’s property or nearby. A shortage of space at the current facility has resulted in overcrowding, increased stress and risk of disease among shelter cats and dogs. Separate facilities for dogs and cats will greatly reduce stress on cats at the shelter. The funding would come from existing public donations in the Animal Benefit Fund, new Capital funds, and money redirected from the County’s capital improvement funds.
Sims is proposing new staff especially during peak animal population months and new training for staff. The new positions include another veterinarian and a veterinarian technician as well as additional veterinary contract services to provide on-going medical care as well as spay/neuter services. The number of new animal control officers at the shelter would vary depending on demand for shelter services.
The proposal calls for creation of a King County inter-branch animal services work group that will work over the next four months. It will consist of members from the offices of the Executive, County Council, Public Health, Sheriff and Prosecutor. The work group will develop an animal services Strategic plan, an Operational Master Plan, and a Facilities Master plan for the three-year period from 2009 through 2011:
- The Strategic Plan will develop a framework for determining how services are provided and who is best able to provide them, prioritize short and long-term goals, and create performance measures for each goal and specifying which County department will be accountable in achieving them.
- The Operational Master Plan will determine how we move forward in providing shelter and animal care services in King County and develop at least three options, including:
- A status quo option of continuing to provide animal services as currently organized, or
- A reorganization of animal services within the departments of county government, or
- A reorganization of animal services in partnership with other providers
- The Facilities Master Plan will inventory existing animal services facilities throughout the county, forecast the future needs for shelter facilities, including where they should be located and, if a new shelter is called for, propose a six-year plan for financing construction.
This process will include an investigation into whether or not the county can create a model animal welfare program and should continue in the sheltering business. The three pieces of this policy framework will be reviewed by a group of community stakeholders before the Executive transmits the three plans to the Council by August 15, for Council review and potential adoption.”
The joint proposal will be the subject of public comment at the Council’s Committee of the Whole Town Hall meeting on animal care and shelter services on Monday, April 14 at the Highline Performing Arts Center in Burien at 6:30 p.m.
Keith Ervin from the Seattle Times wrote a story about the latest King County Animal Shelter news and KOMO-TV did a spot highlighting the story.
Eastside Real Estate Buzz
