HDC

Sent: Wednesday, August 23, 2006 7:48 PM
To: Stenger, Thomas; Rollie Herman; Anderson, Eric; Anderson, Julie; Pugh, Bill (William)
Cc: DIST- ALL Mayor and Council; davidc@trm.org; bobk@trm.org
Subject: RE: Sound Transit Alignment

FYI in working this issue: As I have told Council Member Anderson, as our Sound Transit representative, several years ago I attended Sound Transit Public Meetings held in South Tacoma before breaking ground on New Life Square for Tacoma Rescue Mission. I expressed concern that there were three alternative routes for the Sounder in the EIS, and one dotted line on the map ran in front of the Mission, cutting it off from South Tacoma Way. I was assured by the top Sound Transit staff present that showing that alternative was only a formality, and that the Sounder tracks would ABSOLUTELY be on the south/east side of the street at that point. (Even though they would be on the west side of South Tacoma Way farther south, they would cross the street in the Nalley Valley). Please remember that the Mission was relocated at the request of, and with financial assistance from, the City of Tacoma, because it's previous location (for over 60 years) was to be the public site of the Convention Center. As it turns out, it is actually the private site of Courtyard by Marriott, due to a subsequent sale by the City. That site faced Pacific Avenue and was directly accessible from our city's main street by volunteers and donors to the Mission, and the City and the TRM Board agreed that visibility and accessibility from a main street were conditions for relocation. Several sites were ruled out because of this, and now it appears the new site is about to become cut off from any main street by a wall and a train track, with access only via a dead-end road off of C Street. Whatever the reason, this action by Sound Transit would place Tacoma Rescue Mission in double jeopardy of eminent domain twice in five years, after spending over $5 million to relocate in a good faith effort to cooperate with the City of Tacoma. Sound Transit must carefully consider how it is affecting people, businesses and organizations in Tacoma as it seeks public support of a future ballot issue.

Mike Lonergan Deputy Mayor City of Tacoma