Drafter

Clerk 08/25/2016

Title

AN ORDINANCE concerning the disposition of surplus land at 12th Avenue and Alder Street in Seattle, Washington.

Body

STATEMENT OF FACTS:

1.  In August 2012, King County voters approved a nine-year property tax levy lid lift of seven cents per $1,000 of assessed value, which will raise approximately $219.5 million, to be used for juvenile justice and family law services capital projects, including replacing the existing youth services courthouse and detention facility.

2.  Located at 12th Avenue and Alder Street on Seattle's First Hill, the new children and family justice center will be constructed in phases adjacent to the existing facilities.  Following relocation of services and persons to new buildings, the existing facilities will be demolished.

3.  On February 9, 2015, the council adopted Ordinance 17972 approving a development contract for the children and family justice center.  Ordinance 17972 noted that in addition to benefits from services delivered in the completed children and family justice center, the long-term goals for the approximate nine-acre project site include:

  a.  Anchoring economic revitalization sought by neighborhood leaders;

  b.  Potentially surplussing portions of the property for private development, consistent with zoning and neighborhood goals;

  c.  Exploring added housing on the property;

  d.  Expanding and enhancing open public spaces;

  e.  Reconnecting Alder Street between 12th and 14th Avenues;

  f.  Improving access through and around the campus; and

  g.  Supporting additional public transportation options.

4.  The children and family justice center project site is bordered by E. Spruce Street on the south, 12th Avenue on the west, E. Remington Court on the north and 14th Avenue on the east.

5.  King County leaders are committed to preventing youth involvement in the juvenile justice system and reducing the negative impacts of involvement in the juvenile justice system, including by implementing recommendations from the countywide Juvenile Justice Equity Steering Committee, formed in 2015 and charged with recommending solutions to a growing racial disparity in the regional juvenile justice system, and in the county's Youth Action Plan to end the school-to-prison pipeline and to move toward eliminating detention for nonviolent crimes of youth under age eighteen.

                     BE IT ORDAINED BY THE COUNCIL OF KING COUNTY:

                     SECTION 1.  Findings:  The council finds that any real property of the approximate nine-acre project site that is not needed to complete the children and family justice center, which is part of capital improvement program project 1117106, and which is not necessary for any subsequently authorized capital project associated with the children and family justice center, should be deemed surplus and that the facilities management division should engage in the processes to surplus any such portion of the site, in accordance with the provisions of K.C.C. 4.56.070.

                     SECTION 2.  In accordance with K.C.C. 4.56.130, the council directs the balance of proceeds from the sale of any real property surplussed from the children and family justice center project site, not necessary for any authorized capital costs of phase 2 of the project, as defined in the children and family justice center facility program (contract C00863C13) as approved by the council in Ordinance 17972, be deposited into a proper county fund under which the proceeds may be expended or encumbered only to support youth services that are intended to prevent youth involvement in the juvenile justice system, reduce the negative impacts of the involvement and improve outcomes for King County youth, particularly targeting youth in disproportionately affected communities.

                     SECTION 3.  Not less than one hundred and eighty days before transmittal of an ordinance requesting council approval for the sale of any surplus real property from the project site, the executive shall transmit a report making recommendations to the council for use of the proceeds to support the services contemplated in section 2 of this ordinance.  In developing the recommendations, the executive shall seek input from the countywide Juvenile Justice Equity Steering Committee, formed in 2015, or any successor body created by the executive or the council to advise on strategies to reduce youth involvement in the juvenile justice system, as well as with relevant community stakeholders and stakeholder groups.  The report shall be in the form of a paper original and an electronic copy with the clerk of the council, who shall retain the original and provide an electronic copy to all councilmembers, the council chief of staff, the policy

staff director and the lead staff for the budget and fiscal management committee, or its successor.