The city of Seattle and the Magnolia Neighborhood Planning Council presented arguments in front of the state Court of Appeals over the plan to redevelop the Fort Lawton base into a mixed-income subdivision. At issue is whether the city’s plan should be subjected to a review under the state Environmental Policy Act (SEPA).
With Fort Lawton closing the Army named the city responsible for redeveloping the 29-acre site. Last year Seattle agreed to a plan to allow over 100 market-rate units, 85 units for the homeless and six Habitat for Humanity units.
After much concern was expressed by people living in Magnolia, the neighborhood council sued, saying the city can’t bypass SEPA. Last March, King County Superior Court Judge Catherine Shaffer agreed.
The city appealed. Roger Wynne, assistant city attorney, argued that SEPA isn’t required because the plan will be approved at the federal level — and that means it will undergo an analysis under the National Environmental Policy Act.
Gwendolyn Payton, attorney for the neighborhood council,told our news partners at The Seattle Times that the city should have done the SEPA review after Shaffer’s ruling, instead of fighting it in court.
"They decided to take what I believe is our taxpayer money and do this expensive appeal," she said. "By now, they could have done SEPA twice over."
A decision is likely by the end of the year.
