The URL can be used to link to this page

Home My WebLink AboutCitizen Comment - JackmanJasonSethFrom:Ryan<rjackman1981@gmail.com>Sent:Sunday,May10,202012:01PMTo:CityClerkSubject:CommentregardingCascadeShoppingCenterfortomorrowsCouncilmeetingThankyouMr.Mayorandcouncilmembersforallowingmetovoicemyconcernstoyouall.IwouldliketotakeafewminutestodiscussthesituationwiththeCascadeVillageandCascadeShoppingCenter.IwrotealettertotheHonroableDennisLawlastsummer,andhewasgraciousenoughtotakethetimetowritemeaverythoughtfuloneback.WhenRentonannexedtheCascadeneighborhoodin2008,itunfortunatelylookedmuchthesameasitdoestoday.Withalmostaquarterofthecity’spopulationresidingthere,itisalsooneofthemostdiverseandeconomicallydepressedareasofRenton.Thereislittletonopublictransitoptionsinthearea,andveryfewshoppingoptions.Ifyouwanttobuyfood,seeamovie,grabacupofcoffee,youaregettinginyourcar,cloggingupalreadycongestedRentonsurfacestreets,anddrivingtoFairwood,BensonCenter,orSouthCenter.Somethingelsehappenedin2008though.AnLLCnamedMBACASCADEPLAZA,ownedby,asbestasIcantell,agentlemannamedBruceAnderson,whoworksandappearstoliveonMercerIsland.IwouldhazardaguesshegotwindofRenton’sannexationoftheCascadeneighborhoodandsawabigopportunity.However,alongcametherecession,andhisplansobviouslyfellapart.Now,hehasspentthelast12yearsbeingaslumlord.Whilealltheotherlocaldeveloperspulledthemselvesupbythebootstraps5to6yearsago,thingsremainthesameforMr.Anderson.Noneedtomincewords,hispropertyistheverydefinitionofaslum.Ifyoudon’tbelieveme,asktheCountyAssessor’sOffice.Theyappraisedthelargerofbothparcelsat$8million,whichheappealed.Therevisedpropertyvaluewasplacedat$5.5million.WhereelseinRentonarepeople’spropertyvaluesgoingdownin2019,especially2milliondollars.WhilethisresidentofMercerIslandrunsthisslum,wetheresidentsofRentonandtheCascadeneighborhoodgetincreasedcrime,druguse,blight,theft,pooreconomicgrowth,andalackofinvestmentfromdevelopers,businessowners,homeowners,andeventhecity.Sidewalksarecrackedandpoppingup,treesovergrowintothesidewalks,rootsbreakingthroughconcrete,speedingcars,trashisallover,weedsgroweverywhere,methamphetamineuserswanderaroundtheneighborhoodbreakingintoabandonedhouses.I’vewatchedpeoplestealfromthe7-11andwhenIaskwhythestoreownersdon’tcallthepolicetheysaytheyareworriedaboutretaliationormorecrime.Asweliveintheshadowofthisnearly17-acreUrbanBlight,theresidentsoftheCascadeNeighborhoodcontinuetosuffer.Iwitnessthenegativeeffectshispropertyhasontheneighborhoodalmostdaily,asIwalkallovertheneighborhood,andhavebeendoingsoforthelastfewyears.Mostlytolosemybelly,butalsotolearnmoreabouthowmuchofanimpactablightedpropertycanhaveonthesurroundingneighborhood.ButthestateofWashingtonhasgivencitiesstatutes,andpowersitneedstofixthisproblem.UnderRCW35.80A.010,thecondemnationofblightedpropertyhasa2prongtestoutof3possiblescenarios.Thispropertyqualifiesforatleast2,ifnotall3scenarios.Butthestatehasgivenusallanadditionaltoolindealingwithblight.UnderRCW35.81,knownastheCommunityRenewalLaw,thepropertyisatextbookexampleofblightthatisanexcellentcandidateforthislaw.Inreadingthroughnotonlythestatute,butanextremelyinformativelegalopinionpiecepublishedbyPacificaLawGroup,itisalmostscaryhowwellthispropertyappearstofitintobothRCW’s.Crime,vacancy,contaminatedsoilfromtheolddrycleaner,ageandobsolescenceofthebuildings,highlevelsofunemploymentorpoverty,thelistgoesonofqualifyingconditionswhichwouldnotonlyallow,butalmostrequire,acitytoact.Mr.Mayorandcouncilmembers,Icannotsayenoughabouttheexcellentworkyouallhavedonetoturnthiscityaroundovertheyears.Rentonisnowthe20thmostculturallydiversecityinthenation.TheRentonlandinghasbeenahugesuccessandisthe2’largesttaxpaperaccordingtoanarticlebyCrosscut.1 Wehavethefamilyfirstcommunitycenterbeingbuiltnottoofarfrommyhouse.AndRentonhasbecomeverybusinessfriendlyandhasafirst-ratepoliceforce.Sowithsomuchgreatstuffhappeningalloverthecity,itissurprisinghowlittlehasbeendonetoeffectchangeinthisneighborhood.Itsbeenalmost12yearssincetherecessionhit,everyoneelseisbuilding.NowwiththeeconomicdifficultiesweareseeingfromCovid19,Ifearitmaybeanother12yearsbeforeanythinghappensthere,weneedtodosomethingnow.Wehavethetoolstoforcehishand,itisirresponsibleforthecitytonotusethesetoeffectthechangeweneed.Mr.Andersonishurtingthiscommunity,andtheCascadeneighborhoodencompassesoneofthelargestpopulationsinthecity.Ithurtsthemostvulnerablepeopletonothaveshoppingoptionsintheirneighborhood,andthisissuehasbeenamplifiedwiththisrecentcrisis.ThesebuildingshaveremainedvacantlongbeforeMr.Andersonevenpurchasedthem.Isthereanydoubtthata17acrecommercialpropertythathasremainedvacantfor15++yearshasanegativeimpactonthecommunitysurroundingit?Inaddition,thisblightedpropertyiscostingthecitymillionsofdollarsintaxes,notjustfromhisproperty,butfromthesurroundingneighborhoodsdiminishedpropertyvalues.Thismoneycouldgotowardsaddingorfixingsidewalks,addingtransitoptions,aswellascodeenforcementandlawenforcement.Thispropertyisthekeytoeconomicrevitalizationfortheneighborhood.Peoplewilltakeprideonceagainifthispropertyisdeveloped.Thecitywillbefacingtoughtimeswithrevenueinthecomingmonthsandyearsfromthiscrisis.Havingcommercialpropertyownerswhoareinvestedinourcommunityanditswell-being,aswellastaxrevenuetosupportourcommunityandvulnerablecitizensisimportant.HavingaMercerIslandresidentbuyapropertyandsitonitinviolationofstatestatutesfor12yearsisnotinthebestinterestofthiscommunity,ormyneighborhood.FromMr.Law’sletterandmyresearch,theCityhasgonetoextraordinarylengthstotrytoworkwithMr.Andersononcreativeideasandwaystodosomethingpositive,includingevenbuyingthepropertyfromhim.Idonotfeelthecitycanbeaccusedofnottryingtoworkwithhiminthespiritofcooperation,butwiththecontaminatedsoilfromtheformerdrycleaneramongmanyotheritemsofconcern,somethingneedstobedone.Thatinandofitselfisahealthconcerntosurroundingproperties.WehaveSoosCreekrunningrightthroughthisneighborhoodjustoverablockaway.IrespectfullyrequestthecitytoinvestigateusingthepowersgrantedtothembylawtotakecompelMr.Andersontoaction,orcondemnthepropertyandsellittoaprivatedeveloperthatcanrealizethevisiontheplanningdepartmenthaslaidout.GiveMr.Andersonawarningshotacrossthebowtoeitherfixithimself,orthecitywillfindsomeonewhocan.WorryingabouttheopticsofhowthisactionlooksshouldnotoutweightheveryrealnegativeeffectMr.Anderson’spropertyhashadonallofuswholivehere.Thisisn’tavulnerablelow-incomecitizenshousewearetalkingabouttakingtobuildahotel.ThisisawealthyMercerIslandresidentwhoownsanexceptionallylargecommercialpropertyandhaschosentositonitindefinitelyuntilsomedayhisshipcomesinandhecanflipitforaprofit.Howmanymoreyearswillthatbe?I’darguetheopticsforthecityareworsetoallowthisthantoremedyit.IamlookingtotheCitytohelpstandupforitscitizensinthismatterandwantmyconcernsontherecord.Itisnotfairtotheresidentsofthisneighborhoodtohavetodealwiththisourselvesthroughprivatelitigationorcomplaintstothestate.Ourcityshouldbetakingthismatterintotheirhands.Rentonhasbeenpatientandaccommodatinglongenoughwiththisproperty,itistimeforsomethingtobedonetoprovidefood,shoppingandentertainmentoptionsinthisneighborhood.ThankyouforyourtimeandthankyouallforeverythingyoucontinuetodoforallofusRespectfully,RyanJackman2