Monorail backers win a round as City Council OKs agreement

By Mike Lindblom
Seattle Times staff reporter

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"We're proud of the fact you guys put in a ton of work on the monorail," said Suzie Burke, a developer in the Fremont neighborhood. "Those of us on the west side of the city are very appreciative of what you're doing, and we know it's tough."

Opponents have long dismissed the 14-mile route, linking Ballard and West Seattle to downtown, as a low priority in solving the region's traffic problems.

"Make no mistake, the knives have been out during this process," Councilman Jim Compton said. "There are many interests out there who would like to smother this project."

He complimented the Seattle Monorail Project for presenting "a stirringly competent and effective team" who swarmed City Hall to lobby council members.

The deal protects the city by requiring a $54 million removal bond to dismantle columns and tracks in the event the line can't be completed.

It also requires an independent financial review and another City Council vote to affirm the monorail project can raise enough cash to finish the $1.75 billion line. Revenue from the monorail's new car-tab tax has been more than 25 percent below what was estimated when voters approved the project.

There will also be a $5 million fund for development around stations, which could be used to help spur construction of adjacent retail space and housing, parks or other projects.

Other issues were left unresolved.

The council overlooked a final plea from Don Wise, a downtown-property manager affiliated with the critics' group OnTrack, to deny downtown construction permits for the tracks until the monorail proves it can acquire federally owned land for its Second Avenue and Madison Street station.

"Requiring certainty at Second and Madison is a very pro-monorail position," he said earlier. Wise said ridership, revenues and the line's usefulness depend on a stop there.
 
The design will remain unknown until two competing construction teams make their bids in August. The agreement mandates slender columns but does not contain specific size limits.

Councilman Richard Conlin, a skeptic, called yesterday's vote not a green light but a "flashing yellow," because the monorail's future depends on how the financial review turns out.

Mike Lindblom: 206-515-5631 or mlindblom@seattletimes.com.