Drafter
Clerk 03/02/2011
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AN ORDINANCE authorizing the King County executive to execute an interlocal agreement with the Port of Seattle for the port's contribution to the construction of a new South Park Bridge; and declaring an emergency.
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BE IT ORDAINED BY THE COUNCIL OF KING COUNTY:
SECTION 1. Findings:
A. The South Park Bridge has provided access within the Duwamish manufacturing and industrial area for general purposes and freight traffic for the past eighty-one years.
B. The South Park Bridge came to the end of its useful life and was closed to the public on June 30, 2010.
C. Traffic diverted from the South Park Bridge was forced onto alternative routes, adding traffic congestion to other corridors including the First Avenue South Bridge, West Marginal Way and Interstate 5, which are all routes for freight passing through port facilities.
D. The South Park Bridge is located on 14th/16th Avenue South across the Duwamish river. The south half of the bridge is located in King County. The county is responsible for the operation and maintenance of all county roads, bridges and rights-of-way located within the county.
E. The north half of the bridge is located in the city of Tukwila. The county and the city of Tukwila previously entered into an agreement, executed January 3, 2003, in which the city of Tukwila granted the county authority to make any decisions related to the operation, maintenance and management of the bridge to the same extent as if the entire bridge were part of the county road system.
F. King County has been awarded funding for a replacement bridge, including grant funds and funds from a broad group of partners.
G. The South Park Bridge served a neighborhood with a high percentage of low-income residents and businesses that are reliant on the access provided by the bridge.
H. The port desires to support the residents and businesses in communities as a good neighbor. The county's South Park Bridge replacement project ("the project") provides a clear benefit to the port and the industrial areas of the Duwamish Manufacturing/Industrial Center, as designated by the Puget Sound Regional Council, by reducing traffic congestion in and around port facilities on the Seattle waterfront.
I. The port and other agencies within King County and the state have developed and signed funding agreements for freight infrastructure improvements, including State Route 519, the Spokane Street Viaduct, and the East Marginal Way Grade Separation, the West Seattle Bridge, the West Galer Street Flyover and other FAST Corridor projects, that provide freight mobility benefits for the region.
J. The port supported the county's successful application for a $34 million Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery (TIGER II) grant.
K. The project will improve overall traffic congestion, especially for adjacent Duwamish river bridges such as the First Avenue South Bridge. This will result in $158 million in savings to freight haulers who will not suffer from more congestion on the First Avenue South Bridge and $157 million in travel time savings for users of the new South Park Bridge over thirty years.
L. The project will support both existing and new jobs in the Duwamish Manufacturing/Industrial Center and will create $80 million in short-term construction jobs. In addition, the project will improve safety for drivers, bicyclists and pedestrians while providing benefits to air quality and waterway restoration. The project will provide direct access to industrial locations in the Duwamish Manufacturing/Industrial Center while providing traffic congestion relief at adjacent river crossings.
M. On June 22, 2010, the port commission discussed and supported the general intent to commit $5 million to the project.
N. On July 7, 2010, the port commission approved aquatic and temporary construction easements to King County with a value of $534,000, which would be deducted from the $5 million total funding commitment to the county's South Park Bridge. An additional $180,000 for a restoration easement will be deducted from the $5 million total funding commitment to the county's South Park Bridge.
O. Chapter 39.34 RCW authorizes the county and the port to enter into an interlocal cooperation agreement such as Attachment A to this ordinance.
P. The county has advertised for bids for the project construction contract and is prepared to open bids on March 8, 2011. Opening bids on this date is essential to allow the county to award a contract in late March, allowing the construction contract to take advantage of the Duwamish river "fish window" for construction activities in 2011. A delay in the bid opening could potentially result in a delay in construction of a year. Enactment of this ordinance as an emergency is necessary to allow immedicate execution of the agreement with the Port of Seattle ensuring that the county may in a timely manner open bids and award the project construction contract.
SECTION 2. The King County executive is authorized to execute an interlocal agreement with the Port of Seattle, substantially in the form of Attachment A to this ordinance.
SECTION 3. For the reasons described in section 1 of this ordinance, the county council finds as a fact and declares that an emergency exists and that this ordinance is
necessary for the immediate preservation of public peace, health or safety or for the support of county government and its existing public institutions.