The Port of Seattle has released a Draft Environmental Impact Statement for its proposal to find new uses for 94 acres of largely vacant land in the North Bay area above Terminals 90 and 91.
The Draft EIS includes five alternatives that could transform the under-utilized area in the next 25 years. Three of them include a controversial proposal to add residential uses to the mix.
Some of the alternatives also would require an amendment to the city's Comprehensive Plan governing development in the Ballard-Interbay-Northend Manufacturing Industrial Center (BINMIC).
"The proposed actions and EIS alternatives would generally result in a broader range of uses than currently exists on the site," according to the Draft EIS, "and would facilitate the development of high technology uses [R&D uses] on the site and new employment in the BINMIC area."
Besides what the Port refers to as "emerging industry," the proposed changes would include supporting uses such as office, retail and "potentially residential," according to the Draft EIS.
Reaction to the proposal varies, and the public will have a chance to comment in writing prior to May 16, and at a public hearing scheduled to begin at 5:30 p.m. May 4 at the Washington National Guard Armory, 1601 W. Armory Way.
Copies of the Draft EIS are avail-able at both the Queen Anne and Magnolia public libraries, and online (www.portseattle.org), but meanwhile here are some highlights that the News has gleaned from the huge, two-volume document.
The Port is working under the assumption that manufacturing jobs are on the decline in the Interbay Forecast Analysis Zone, which includes both North Bay and some surrounding areas.
Based on projections developed by the Puget Sound Regional Council, the number of manufacturing jobs in the Interbay area will decline 40 percent, from 2,858 in 2000 to 1,717 in 2030, when full build-out of the area is expected to be complete.
However, the Draft EIS includes a Port pledge to make room for possible expansion of the existing 375 full-time jobs at CityIce and Trident Seafood businesses in North Bay, and it assumes that the National Guard Armory could eventually move elsewhere.
Growth scenarios
Environmental-impact statements always include a "no-action" alternative for comparison purposes, and the Draft EIS for North Bay adds a range of other alternatives.
Alternative 1 calls for maximum density without residential. At full build-out in 2030, approximately 19,970 new jobs would be generated in the area, but that is partially offset by the loss of 20 jobs at Northwest Harvest and 35 at the Armory.
"New opportunities for traditional industrial employment, together with emerging industrial employment, and employment associated with office and retail uses would result," the Draft EIS states.
Alternative 2 calls for maximum density with residential. The new residential growth could increase the demand for retail service in the area, the CityIce and Trident jobs would stay, and the jobs at Northwest Harvest and the Armory would go. Approximately 13,795 jobs would be added to the area.
Alternative 3 calls for medium density with residential on Armory property only. The effect on Northwest Harvest, Armory, CityIce and Trident jobs would remain the same as the first two alternatives, and approximately 13,149 new jobs would be generated.
Alternative 4 calls for medium density with residential and development on Port-owned property only. The jobs at the Armory, City- Ice and Trident would stay, the jobs at Northwest Harvest would go, and approximately 6,300 new jobs would be created by 2030.
Alternative 5 calls for industrial development under current zoning codes. The Northwest Harvest jobs would disappear, while the number of Armory, CityIce and Trident jobs would remain the same. Approximately 2,464 jobs would be generated by 2030, but a "more limited range of employment opportunities would result," the Draft EIS states.
Under Alternative 1, 681 annual construction jobs would be created during the 25-year build-out phase, while 658 annual construction jobs and 562 annual construction jobs would be created under Alternative 2 and 3, respectively. Alternative 4 would see 255 annual construction jobs created, versus 84 in the same time period with Alternative 5.
Development in North Bay would also have citywide and region-wide effects, according to the Draft EIS.
Under Alternative 1, up to 32,500 additional indirect and induced jobs would be created outside of North Bay, while approximately 21,500 would be generated under Alternative 2. Approximately 20,500 such jobs would be created under Alternative 3, roughly 10,500 under Alternative 4 and only 4,000 under Alternative 5.
The projected number of multifamily residential units would be 2,100 under Alternative 2, 400 under Alternative 3 and 1,000 under Alternative 4.
New development under Alternative 1 would include building heights up to three stories (45 feet) for industrial/flex-tech, up to four stories for retail, and four to eight stories (110-foot maximum) for R&D and office use. "New buildings would generally be equal to or taller than existing buildings," the Draft EIS states.
Alternative 2 differs from Alternative 1 in that some of the building would include residential use. Building heights under Alternative 3 would generally be lower than Alternatives 1 and 2, while maximum build heights under Alternative 4 would be lower than those under Alternatives 1, 2 and 3. Building heights under Alternative 5 would generally be three stories, "although existing site zoning has no height limit for traditional industrial buildings," the Draft EIS states.
New roads would be created and traffic would increase from a high of 3,540 trips during the a.m. peak under Alternative 1 to a low of 680 trips during the a.m. peak under Alternative 5.
Second time round for Port
The Port submitted a proposal to the city council last year to amend the Comp Plan for North Bay development, but the Port withdrew the pro-posal when the city expressed concerns about the threat to the industrial land base in Seattle, said Port spokesman Mick Shultz.
But the Port worked with the city on an industrial real-estate analysis of property in Seattle to get a better handle on the subject, he added. "Based on the results of that study, we decided to resubmit the Comp Plan amendment this year."
John Kane, a Queen Anne resident and chairman of the BINMIC group, thinks the Port is going in the wrong direction with its North Bay proposals. He also questions the analysis conclusions that manufacturing jobs are declining in the BINMIC area.
"From my point of view, it's not necessarily the case," said Kane, who is also running for a seat on the Port Commission. Maritime employment stayed fairly level even during the recent recession, he said.
He also points to the recent decision of Carnitech, a manufacturer of on-board fish-processing equipment, to move to Terminal 91 from its longtime home in Ballard as an example of the possibilities.
"I think what really needs to be done at that site is what I call planned action," he said in reference to a similar effort in Everett. That city's officials figured out what permits were needed ahead of time, got them and picked eight or 10 companies to approach, Kane explained.
The BINMIC group was scheduled to meet on Monday this week, but Kane said the group is unimpressed with the Port idea of attracting hi-tech businesses to North Bay.
"We ... think this really shouldn't be an area to compete with the city for biotech work," he said, noting that the South Lake Union area seems to be on a roll in that direction.
Victor Barry, president of the Mag-nolia Community Club, questions the BINMIC perspective on the Port's North Bay proposals. "They want all or nothing," he said. "I don't think the [industrial] market is there," he added. "Otherwise, it would have happened by now."
Barry said he had perused the Draft EIS and likes what he's seen. "It's reasonable, responsible and flexible," he said.
Barry also said the Port has made a concerted effort to keep the public updated on the progress of the North Bay proposals. "They have been very sensitive to the community," he added.
Staff reporter Russ Zabel can be reached at rzabel@nwlink.com or 461-1309.
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