We Drive Cars

By Jeff Boone

Admiral merchants lost 60 spaces in December when a former surface parking lot gave way to the construction of an assisted-living residence; they'll lose 40 more when condominiums replace another surface parking lot. Merchants, who say business has dropped off 20 percent with the loss of the first parking lot, are asking the city to split the $3.5 million cost of putting 129 spaces beneath the condominium development. Marc Gartin, the property developer, is donating the space.

Council has sat on its hands for more than six months, avoiding the decision in the usual manner-issuing a call for further studies of the project. At its last meeting, Councilmember Jan Drago's Finance, Budget and Economic Development committee could not produce a recommendation for the Council. Councilmembers Heidi Wills and Richard McIver voted no, Richard Conlin and Nick Licata voted yes. Drago chose not to vote. As we go to press, Council may vote on the garage or it may punt, which is as good as voting no. Property developer Marc Gartin has told the merchants they are out of time.

Blame Council inaction on the heavy-handed meddling of Aaron Ostrom and 1000 Friends of Washington, the Transportation Choices Coalition and the Green Party. Choosing a battle they might win, the three groups have buried hapless councilmembers knee deep in anti-sprawl, anti-bailout rhetoric, providing the curtain behind which quavery councilmembers might hide. Transportation activists have characterized the parking garage as a multi-million dollar public/private partnership, conjuring up the notorious Nordstrom parking garage and the ugly specter of downtown shenanigans. Reaching even further into the realm of the ludicrous, the Green Party has persuaded themselves that one floor of parking comes at the expense of open space, bike paths and neighborhood amenities. The Greens have suggested merchants put extra cars on the Lafayette School playground. Such bleating and posturing may kill the garage yet.

Let's put this in perspective.

Cost to city: $1.75 million. Cost to neighborhood merchants: $1.75 million. Benefit to neighborhood and commercial district: 129 spaces in one soon-to-be-constructed parking garage-spaces that will replace two surface parking lots and 16 off-street parking spaces.

The city could do worse.

Surface parking lots in Seattle are disappearing fast, given that they are inefficient uses of land in boomtown Seattle. But cars are not.

Transportation options within the city of Seattle are disappearing fast, but the need for transportation is not.

In the absence of options, we drive cars.

Councilmember Heidi Wills, adept at throwing cold buckets of water on neighborhood wish lists, has played transportation options and neighborhoods against one another with impunity. As earnest as they come, Councilmember Wills deems the parking garage a frivolous expenditure in the wake of I-695, and then argues that Capitol Hill and Wallingford have greater parking needs. But it is clear that Wills, who is publicly opposed to the garage, has no intention of supporting parking garages for Capitol Hill or Wallingford or Ballard or the U-District or any other neighborhood calling for parking improvements. Remember, this is the councilmember who staged the first public attempt to kill the monorail.

How Council votes on the parking garage will indeed set the dreaded precedent Wills and opponents of the Admiral District parking garage claim; yes or no will indicate the tenor of the relationship downtown will pursue with its neighborhood commercial partners. And Jan Drago, thus far hedging her bets, is the pivotal vote. If Drago has an eye on the Mayor's race next year, calculated indecision will scarcely win her votes among Seattle's neighborhood merchants.

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