Drafter
Clerk 08/16/2011
Title
A MOTION acknowledging progress in discussions addressing tenancy of The Center for Wooden Boats at the transit division's North Lake Union dock site for public access to The Center for Wooden Boats's maritime heritage activities, and endorsing the concept of a lease agreement with a limited term and scope to facilitate that tenancy.
Body
WHEREAS, the council has recently focused attention on assisting community efforts to gain public access to the north end of Lake Union, and on the possibility that the county-owned North Lake Union dock site represents an opportunity to respond to this need, and
WHEREAS, a Seattle nonprofit organization, The Center for Wooden Boats, which provides hands-on education, training and boating access opportunities to the public, with the support of Northwest Seaport and other maritime heritage non-profits, has expressed interest in purchasing or leasing the North Lake Union dock site for uses consistent with the Seattle-King County Task Force on Maritime Heritage's December 2005 final report, and
WHEREAS, the council acknowledges the complexity of the legal, environmental and financial conditions associated with the North Lake Union dock site, which is owned by King County, and
WHEREAS , the council noted that previous efforts of the transit division and The Center for Wooden Boats to negotiate an outcome that would allow appropriate tenancy at the facility by The Center for Wooden Boats while addressing the legitimate concerns of the transit division had reached an impasse, and
WHEREAS, the council nonetheless remained interested in seeking further efforts by the parties to identify avenues for a negotiated agreement that would allow appropriate access by The Center for Wooden Boats to the property, and
WHEREAS, the council took action to energize negotiations between the parties, approving Motion 13400 in January 2011. That motion:
1. Directed the transit division to pursue an updated memorandum of understanding between The Center for Wooden Boats and the transit division;
2. Charged the parties with moving forward with facilitator-led negotiations in a purposeful and energetic manner to explore all legal means by which utilization of the transit North Lake Union dock site by The Center for Wooden Boats might be accomplished;
3. Recognized the financial condition of the transit division and legal limitations on the use of transit funding in resolving this issue; and
4. Required quarterly reporting to the council summarizing progress in discussions, including seriousness of purpose by parties to discussions, and
WHEREAS, the second quarter report by the facilitator indicates that the discussions are showing promise. Among these indicators are:
1. Certain elements of Motion 13400 have been met, including the execution of an updated memorandum of understanding, the retention of the facilitator, and the acknowledgement by both parties of the financial and legal limitations of the transit division in addressing the purposes of The Center for Wooden Boats; and
2. The parties are actively considering a lease of the landside portion of the property with limited term and scope, to allow The Center for Wooden Boats to lay the groundwork for a possible separate future project after determining whether a county agency should serve as landlord or whether another public or private entity should serve in that role, allowing sedimentation cleanup and for remediation plans and associated responsibilities to become more clear, and further defining The Center for Wooden Boats's improvement plans, phasing plans, costs and fundraising strategies;
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT MOVED by the Council of King County:
A. The council hereby acknowledges the good faith and positive efforts by the parties to these discussions, and indicates its support for the direction of the discussions.
B. The council specifically endorses the initiative for a lease agreement with limited term and scope that would allow The Center for Wooden Boats to establish a presence on the site while developing the foundation for implementing future project
phases, and allow time to address appropriate lease management roles and to achieve further clarity on environmental remediation contingencies.