Development connected to a proposed light rail line through Mercer Island—connecting Seattle to the West and Bellevue to the East—has met staunch local opposition.
Alexa Vaughn reports on the political machinations of a group called Save Our Suburbs (SOS), advocating to slow transit oriented development along a light rail line planned for Mercer Island in the Seattle metropolitan area.
According to Vaughn, SOS is "a vocal group of at least 270 Mercer Island residents who have, since December, packed enough public meetings to urge the City Council to approve a temporary building moratorium in its Town Center district and turn down Sound Transit’s $6.3 million offer to build more park-and-ride space near the future light-rail station."
Vaughn shares the relevant details of Mercer Island's Growth Management Act, which would add 80 residential units a year through 2030. Since 1980, the population of the city held steady around 20,000 to 22,000 residents, but according to the city's latest comprehensive plan, that number is expected to rise to 26,000 by 2020.
The leaders of SOS claim that they do not oppose growth, just that they oppose "disorganized and inefficient growth." The article notes that Mercer Island Mayor Bruce Bassett is hopeful that there is plenty of space left for negotiations to get the city, SOS, and Sound Transit on the same page regarding growth, density, and transit.
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