There will be a meeting on the scope of the Environmental Impact Statement for the completion of the “Missing Link” of the Burke-Gilman Trail. The meeting is August 8th at Ballard High School, 1418 NW 65th St, 6-8 PM.

The full text of the notice from Seattle Dept. of Transportation:

REQUEST FOR COMMENTS ON THE SCOPE OF THE ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT STATEMENT
BURKE-GILMAN TRAIL EXTENSION PROJECT

 

Proposal:

The Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT) proposes to complete the “missing link” between two existing segments of the Burke-Gilman Trail. The project will construct a marked, dedicated route for pedestrians and cyclists through the Ballard neighborhood of Seattle, between the intersection of 11^th Avenue NW and NW 45^th Street and 30^th Avenue NW at the Hiram M Chittenden (Ballard) Locks. Construction may include the addition of new and replaced impervious surfaces, landscaping, new and replaced stormwater drainage facilities, driveway improvements, street lighting, wayfinding signs, and traffic controls.

 

Background Information:

The Missing Link is the last, uncompleted portion of a regional, multi-use pedestrian and bicycle trail system that otherwise travels east from Golden Gardens Park in Seattle to Tracey Owen Station in Kenmore. The first paved section of the trail, from Gas Works Park to Kenmore, was completed in 1978. Additional sections of the trail have been completed incrementally since that time. The Burke-Gilman Trail generally follows the right-of-way of the old Burlington Northern railroad line and connects with other regional trails in Bothell (Wayne Golf Course), Redmond (Sammamish River Trail) and Issaquah (Lake Sammamish Trail).

 

SDOT originally issued a Determination of Non-Significance for a proposal to complete the Missing Link based on the route approved by City Council Resolution 30583. That DNS was revised in 2011 pursuant to an order from the King County Superior Court requiring SDOT to do additional environmental review of a portion of the route along Shilshole Avenue NW, between 17^th Avenue NW and NW Vernon Place (Shilshole Segment). That Revised DNS was reissued in 2012 pursuant to a second order from the King County Superior Court requiring additional design of the Shilshole Segment. On appeal of the Reissued Revised DNS, the City of Seattle Hearing Examiner determined that an environmental impact statement (EIS) should be prepared to address traffic hazard impacts along the Shilshole Segment, specifically those impacts related to truck movements and conflicts with other traffic and trail users. Now, SDOT proposes to prepare an EIS on the entire Missing Link including the evaluation of a broader array of impacts and alternatives.

 

Proponent:

Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT)

 

Location of Proposal:

The Missing Link of the Burke-Gilman Trail is located in the Ballard neighborhood between the intersection of 11^th Avenue NW and NW 45^th Street on the east and 30^th Avenue NW at the Ballard Locks on the west. Alternative routes between those two termini will be considered.

 

Lead Agency:

SDOT

 

Areas for discussion in the EIS:

As described above, the City of Seattle Hearing Examiner has ordered SDOT to prepare an EIS on the potential traffic hazard impacts on the Shilshole Segment of the Missing Link. Although SDOT has not determined that there will be probable significant adverse impacts from the proposal, SDOT has chosen to expand the scope of its EIS to include discussion of the entire Missing Link, from 11^th Avenue NW to the Ballard Locks, and has preliminarily identified the following areas for discussion in the EIS: transportation (including parking, traffic and traffic hazards); land and shoreline use; earth; plants and animals; historic and cultural resources; and economics. Additional elements of the environment may be included based on SDOT’s review of scoping comments.

 

Alternatives:

The EIS will consider a range of alternative trail alignments and designs. The route adopted by City Council Resolution 30583, which generally follows the railroad corridor along Shilshole Avenue NW, as well as a No Action alternative, will be included as alternatives. A reasonable number of additional alternatives will be identified based on suggestions in scoping comments and existing information.

 

Scoping Process/Comment Period:

Agencies, tribes and individuals are invited to submit written comments on the scope of the EIS, including areas of the environment that should be discussed in the EIS and alternatives that should be considered. Comments may be submitted by letter or email to Peter Hahn, the SEPA Responsible Official, at the address given below by 4:00 PM August 16.

 

An open house/scoping meeting will be held on August 8, 2013 from 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM at Ballard High School, 1418 NW 65^th Street, Seattle, WA. An opportunity for submitting comments on the EIS scope will be provided.

 

Responsible Official:

Peter Hahn, Director
Seattle Department of Transportation
c/o Mark Mazzola, Environmental Manager
700 5^th Avenue, Suite 3900
Seattle, WA 98104
mark.mazzola@seattle.gov