Nickels Newsletter - January 2007

Dear Friends,

Today was an important day for the future of Seattle and the rights of its citizens.

After asking for a public vote about how to replace the crumbling viaduct, this week the leadership in Olympia changed course and said they were not interested in the opinions of Seattle citizens. Instead, they threatened to force us to accept a new elevated freeway or, even worse, they would take state funding away from the most dangerous section of highway in the state of Washington.

Today, the Seattle City Council stood up to this threat and said that the people of Seattle will not be denied a voice in the future of our waterfront.

The good news is that there is a far less expensive and much more realistic option to present to the voters in March. It's called the Surface/Tunnel Hybrid -- a revised tunnel configuration developed by the City and Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) engineers.

The Surface/Tunnel Hybrid combines the best elements of a tunnel with substantial improvements to transit service and surface streets. It's an idea that was studied two years ago but was rejected due to some problems connecting the north end of the city with the tunnel. With help from the WSDOT project team these flaws have been fixed.

By scaling back the tunnel size, the Surface/Tunnel Hybrid saves nearly $1.2 billion from the inflated six-lane alternative. Instead of stacking the roadways in a deep trench, the Hybrid puts them in a side-by-side, shallower cut-and-cover tunnel. This design reduces traffic demand in the tunnel while using downtown surface streets more effectively and adding transit service during peak commuter periods. Just like the previous tunnel design, the Hybrid allows us to open up our city to one of its most treasured natural assets -- the waterfront.

The Surface/Tunnel Hybrid reduces the number of full-time tunnel lanes from six to four (the same number as the connecting Battery Street Tunnel), but allows for shoulder lanes to be used as regular lanes during peak periods. Using the same estimating technique that has been used for other Viaduct replacement options, the Surface/Tunnel Hybrid can be built for $3.41 billion.

How we replace the dangerous Viaduct is a choice about the future of our city, not about politics in Olympia. That is why I'm proud that the City Council has decided to put the question on the ballot and let the people of Seattle decide the future of our waterfront.

Olympia now knows that the voters of Seattle have a clear expectation that they will be given honest choices; that their voices will be heard; and their choices respected.

Sincerely,


GREG NICKELS
Mayor of Seattle

The Nickels family is pleased to announce the addition of Edgar to our family. We met Edgar at our animal shelter while attending an open house celebrating the shelter's 35th anniversary. We brought Edgar home that night; he met our 12-year old dog Polly, and now he is one of the family. It was a pleasure to proclaim 2007 the "Year of the Seattle Animal Shelter" in recognition of the lifesaving work of the dedicated staff and the hundreds of volunteers who make the Seattle Animal Shelter one of the most progressive municipal shelters in the nation. And if you're looking for a pet, the shelter has a wonderful array of dogs, cats, puppies, kitties, and other animals just waiting to find permanent homes.
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For our 10 Year Plan to End Homelessness, the new year got off to a good start with the grand opening of the new expanded FareStart facility in downtown Seattle. This program plays a critical role in our 10-year plan. FareStart is a nonprofit agency providing meals, intensive hands-on food service training, and case management services for homeless youth and adults. Now with its new expanded facility, FareStart will be able to double the number of clients it serves each year - from 250 to 500. Since 1992, FareStart has placed 1,500 graduates in food service jobs. I'm proud that the City of Seattle is a partner in this worthwhile program.

On a sunny day in March last year, I joined the Montlake community for the official groundbreaking for an expanded community center. And it was a cold day in January this year when we dedicated the new facility, complete with a new multipurpose room, full-service commercial kitchen, activity room, additional viewing areas for the gym, new showers and storage, community gathering areas and a centrally located front desk. Add to this, the building was designed to a LEED silver rating and recycled or re-used 95 percent of the materials from the original building. We are truly fortunate to have such great gathering places as this community center where people of all ages can get together and play. Congratulations to all who were part of this project and special thanks to the community center advisory council for its generous donation which made it possible to renovate the historic Tudor building.

It was a tragic coincidence that on the same day Police Chief Kerlikowske and I once again called on our state leaders to pass common sense gun laws, a Tacoma high school student became another statistic in our state's list of victims of gun violence. Last year in Seattle we were horrified when six young people were gunned down on Capitol Hill, and again when a gunman opened fire at the Jewish Federation offices. In all, 2006 saw 22 of our residents killed by guns. With a gun, it only takes a moment to take a life. We don't have another moment to lose in our efforts to stop the flow of illegal guns on our streets. And as a founding member of Mayors Against Gun Violence, later this month I will join my fellow mayors in Washington, D.C. to urge the new Congress to defeat a series of gun bills that would protect criminals.
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Twice a year we award funds to support development of affordable housing in Seattle. Stable housing is absolutely necessary to build strong families and healthy communities. And we have the resources, commitment and power to end homelessness and provide affordable housing for all income levels in Seattle. The $6.7 million we just awarded to four organizations, will help create affordable homeownership opportunities; a supportive housing development for chronically homeless people in North Seattle; and two mixed-income family housing developments in south Seattle. Pictured here is staff from Inter*Im Community Development Association, which was awarded funds for the Samaki Commons in south Seattle, primarily serving immigrant and refugee families. This is another milestone in our quest to end homelessness in Seattle.
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I was pleased to announce that Ken Nakatsu will join my staff as the new Chief of Department Operations, overseeing all city operations. Ken's 30 years of public service includes his most recent post as director of our Department of Executive Administration. He is an effective manager who knows how to tackle complex challenges and get the job done. Ken will take over from John Franklin who has served in the position for nearly three years. I thank John for his years of outstanding service to the city and its residents. Ken comes on board this month.
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Back in 1932, Seattle's own Helene Madison was hailed "Queen Helene" by the local press and given the biggest parade the city had ever seen. Not only had she broken 16 freestyle swimming world records in 1931 and 1932, but she came home from the 1932 Olympics with three gold medals in freestyle swimming. She was even featured on a U.S. postage stamp in 1990. Madison learned to swim through our own Parks and Recreation programs. In 1971 we opened a pool in her honor at the Bitter Lake Community Center. In commemoration of the 35th anniversary of the pool and the 75th anniversary of "Queen Helene's" Olympic triumphs, we rededicated the pool in her honor and unveiled a sign with photos and more information. Her legacy lives on in the hundreds of young people who learn to swim in the Helene Madison Pool and the hundreds more to come.
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