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HomeMy WebLinkAboutVAC - Williams St N (1941) BEGINNING OF FILE FILE TITLE • / lb) /(4.1114t. dtbIle°#ti 42.7 / 6e- 11( 8i-A (-/ -7 /Q _. AR ASSETS ADMINISTRATIGIN Regional Office of Real Property Disposal Arcade Building ' 1301 Second.Avenue In reply refer to: Seattle 1, Washington December 29, 1947 RSE-PLE Plancor 156-Boeing Renton, Renton, Washington City of Renton Renton, Washington ATTENTION: Arthur L. Haugan, City Attorney Gentlemen: Re: Plancor 156 - Boeing Renton Plant Vacated Portion of Williams Street North Your letter of October 4, 1947, requesting this Administration to reopen the easterly half of former Williams Street North in the City of Renton, has been received in this office and a complete investigation has been made in order to determine whether or not your request can be granted. The Government acquired title to the easterly half of former Williams , Street North by deed dated March 8, 1943, from the Puget Sound Power and Light Company for a consideration of - 2000. After acquiring title, the former street area was improved with paving by the Government and a bulkhead was constructed at the'water end of the street. You have stated that the residents of the City of Renton desire the street be reopened to use by the public to afford access to Lake Washington for recreational and commercial uses. The situation which would exist if this area was reopened to the public use would not be conducive to an orderly operation of our industrial facilities, in that hazards would be created by the parking of cars by the public along the narrow roadway and by members of the public being brought into close proximity with the plant itself and possible interference with the operations of some of the tenants at the plant. Due to the bulkhead at the waters edge, which eliminated any former beach which may have existad, there no longer remain any beach bathing facilities. It is true that access to the water could be obtained. However, no room. would be afforded for the parking of automobiles and the use mould be restricted to merely loading and unloading of passengers. Our investigation discloses that the airstrip area, which has been conveyed to the City. of Renton, has far better facilities for-access to the lake and use of the waterfront and beach area. The perimeter road on the airstrip can much better be used by the public than the portion of former Williams Street north. Regarding the need of a landing point for water traffic to and from the City of Renton, it appears that such traffic could either be served at the north end of the airstrip area or could use the Cedar River channel up to the first bridge south of Lake Washington. • • • To: City of Renton, Renton, Washington December 29, ,1947 We regret that we cannot at this time allow the reopening of the easterly half of former Williams Street North for use by the public. . Very truly yours, - .-'1(4414"4-1-41 • C. R. FLEEING Deputy Regional D ector • • • • • • • - 2 • October 4, 1947 • War Assets Administration Regional Office -. Real" Property Disposal McDermott Building 1409 Second Avenue Seattle 1 Washington Re:: Plancor 156 - Vacated Portion of Williams Street North Gentlemen: In 1942 the City of Renton by Ordinance No. 1146 vacated a portion of Williams Street North extending -a-distance of 38 • feet- from the Inner Harbor Line, upon request of Defense Plant Corporation and Puget Sound Power & Light Company, who' were the two-"abutting owners. Petition of these two abutting owners dated-December 15, 1941, was filed with the City Council-of' Renton requesting such vacating, with an attached blue print from- Defense Plant Corporation identified as Supplemental Drawing No. 79 "Plancor 156", and the petition describes the portion to be vacated, as does also the above ordinance, as follows: Beginning on the north with the Inner Harbor Line of Lake Washington and continuing south and east to a line extending northeasterly and southwesterly across said Williams Street North (in the City of Renton) , which line is 30 feet northwest of and parallel to the meander line as said meander line extends across said Williams Street Northe The petition was supported- by a letter from Defense Plant Cgrpor.ation dated January 6, 1942, signed by G. B. Grieve, Agency Manager, setting forth the need for the property in connection with security and policing activities for the Renton Boeing Plant then being constructed; also by a letter dated January 6, 1942, from Lambuth, Sill and Company, Hoge Building, Seattle, as Agent for Defense Plant Corporation, setting forth at considerable length the needs of Defense Plant Corporation for vacating of Williams Street North (a) to increase the area of the Boeing Plant site and (b) for security and protection of the Boeing Plant -by establishing a restricted area around same. ' The latter letter-recognises thqt the prople of Renton had been using this portion of North Williams Street for access to Lake Washington for recreational purposes but pointed out that the government' s needs for security of a large defense plant and for the landing and takeoff of planes was paramount. It was in recognition of this need -of the government during the war that the City of Renton acceeded to the request by enacting above mentioned ordinance No. 1146. 4 2: Since hostilities have sided and the Boeing Plant proper- ties -have -been declared surplus arid are no longer used as-6 defense plant, the citizens of Renton have raised the question 'more' and more frequently as to when their access' to- LakeWashington over Williams Street North for recreational purposes would again be - - . made -available. In fact there seems. to have been a general under- standing among the' citizens of Renton. that at the close of the war this street approach to Lake Washington would be returned to the city by the government. Acting upon numerous requests from citizens, and from groups such as the Sportsman' s Club of 'Renton, the Renton City Council has instructed this c '-fice to ascertain the present Status of the matter and institute negotiations-- with the government looking toward the reopening of the Vacated portion of Williams Street North as a public ,street furnishing access to Lake Washington. • There is enclosed herewith a drawing of the vacated street and surrounding area prepared by the Renton City Engineer. This office "understands that when the 'street area was vacated the westerly half reverted to Defense Plant Corporation as abutting owner and the easterly half reverted to the Puget Sound Power & Light Company as abutting owner; and that thereafter Defense Plant Corporation purchased the easterly halfcf the vacated street area from Puget Sound Power & Light Company. Now that the area in question has been declared surplus by Defense Plant Corporation and the military, and is in the hands of War- Assets Administration for disposal, the City of Renton desires to request favorable consideration and action on this request for returning the vacated street area to the City. The city received no monetary consideration for relinquishing the street area. The City and its people have no other route of access to Lake Washington and they feel that such access to the Lake is a matter of necessity from the standpoint of recreational needs and future commercial needs. Before the war this route of access to the Lake was used to a great extent for swimming, fishing and beach recreational purposes. It would also furnish access to the City from boats and water craft. It will be appreciated if your office will consider this matter-, make any necessary investigation of the present situation and offer representatives of the City of Renton an opportunity to discuss the matter further with you. Very truly yours, ARTHUR L. HAUGAN ALH:lf City Attorney ENCL. • ;REPENSE PLANT CORPORATION 410 Dexter Horton Building Seattle, Washington January 6, 1942 The Honorable Mayor and City Council City of Renton Renton, Washington Dear Sirs: On December 15, 1941, a petition for the vacation of a portion of Williams Street North, Renton, Washington, was filed in the name of Defense Plant Corporation and the Puget Sound Power and Light Company, owners of the property fronting on the street to be vacated. The Power Company joined in the filing of the petition at the request of Defense Plant Corporation. We have now been informed that a public hearing with respect to such a petition has been set for January 6, 1942. In order that you may be fully informed as to the position of Defense Plant Corporation, we are setting forth certain facts. Defense Plant Corporation was organized on August 22, 1940, under Section 5d of the Reconstruction Finance Corporation Act; as amended, with power, among other things, to purchase, lease or otherwise acquire real estate and interests in real estate, to purchase, lease or otherwise acquire and to build and expand plants and facilities, and to purchase, lease, produce or otherwise acquire and to repair, re-build and alter equipment, supplies and machinery, for the manufacture of arms, ammunition and implements of war. With respect to the plant under construction at Renton, Washington, such construction was instituted at the request of the United States Navy Department, and the existing arrangements are that at a later date title to this plant will be transferred to the United States Navy. The Boeing Aircraft Company has been employed to supervise and operate the plant. • The cost of the plant site and the buildings will be in excess of $16,000,000 and when completed it is expected that the plant will employ in the neighborhood of 12,000 persons with a payroll between fifteen and twenty-five million a year. This plant is not a temporary measure but is intended to be a perman- ent institution. • It is expected that when the plant is completed and in operation, members of the United States armed forces will guard the entire site. J The Honorable Mayor and City Council, Page 2. 1-6-42 Williams Street North ends at the inner harbor line which we have been informed is actually south of the edge of Lake Washington. • This Corporation has filed an application with the appropriate State authorities for the purpose of leasing the area between the inner and outer harbor lines including the area in front of Williams Street North. Upon the execution of such a lease no person, unless authorized by the .United States Government, will be permitted in the area. Hence, Williams Street will be of no benefit to anyone attempting to reach Lake Washington. Due to the fact that the present plant site facing on Lake Washington is not of a sufficient size to provide for .the large buildings • to be erected thereon and allow room for driveways and secondary structures, it is necessary to.utilize the property now constituting Williams Street. Due to the inadequate size, it has been necessary for Defense Plant Corpo- ration to acquire a large tract at the south of the main plant site which mill be utilized entirely as a parking area. An attempt was made to utilize a 100-foot strip between the existing plant site and the Commercial Waterway-but such plan: was abandoned when it was found that the existing law would not permit the sale of the land without an election and approval by vote of the people. It is urgently requested that Williams Street North be permanently vacated. Respectfully submitted, • G. B. t 'EVE Agency Manager SPECIALISTS IN THE LOCATION REAL ESTATEE p , DOCK,TERMINAL AND BUSINESS OF INDUSTRIES AND ANALYSIS IAMBUTHSILL&C0 PROPERTY - STORES - LOFTS , OF INDUSTRIAL SITE PROBLEMS WAREHOUSES AND FACTORIES HOGE BUILDING B.L. LAMBUTH E.G.SILL SEATTLE,WASHINGTON January 6, 1942 The Honorable Mayor and City Council City of Renton Renton, Washington Honorable Sirs : Acting on instructions, we filed with your Honorable Board on last December 15th a petition for the vacation of a portion of Williams Street North in the City of Renton. The petition was filed in the name of/ Defense Plant Corporation and Puget Sound Power & Light Company, owners of all property fronting on the street to be vacated. The Power Company acted solely on the request of the Defense Plant Corporation. Your Honorable Body has set January 6, 1942, as the date of a public hearing on the petition. We have been request- ed to prepare a memorandum for filing with you, for the informa- tion of you and the citizens of Renton, a frank statement as to why the vacation of the street is necessary. At the scheduled public hearing, it is intended that a number of persons representing the Government agencies, the Boeing Company, etc. , will be present. Among these will be G. B. Grieve, Agency Manager, Defense Plant Corporation; Mr. Grimsdell, Attorney for the Defense Plant Corporation; Mr . R. A. Neale, Assistant to the Executive Vice President of the Boeing Aircraft Company; Mr. Prince, Attorney for the Boeing Company, and Mr. Richard Ellis, Manager of The Austin Company, the con- tracting firm which is constructing the plant. The idea of constructing a sea plane plant in the Northwest was conceived by the United States Navy. All possible sites from the Columbia River north to the International line were investigated. The Renton site was selected for a number of reasons, the foremost being that it was thought that a tract of land of sufficient size was available, and because of the almost constant level of a large water area. The Defense Plant Corporation is a Government financing agency which is supplying the money for_ the construction of the Renton plant. It is probable that later title to the plant will be transferred to the Navy. The Boeing Company has been employed to supervise construction and operate the plant, but does not own the site or plant. - The Honorable Mayor and City Council City of Renton Page 2 - January 6, 1942 'The cost of the site and sea plane plant now being constructed is in the neighborhood of sixteen millions of dol- lars. When completed' and in full operation, it is expected the plant will employ some twelve thousand persons with a monthly payroll of between one and a half and two million dollars. There are comparatively few sea plane plants in the country and it is expected that t'he Renton plant will be a permanent institu- tion and it is hoped that the Renton community will consider it . as such. Any action by the City Council which only temporarily protects the Government's investment of course would not be ac- ceptable. May we ask each of you a straightforward question: Prior to the beginning of the construction of the new plant, had the Government asked the City of Renton to vacate a portion of Williams Street as a condition precedent to the construction of the plant, what would have been your answer? Would the citizens of, Renton approved? • This project was in the process of formation many months prior to the 'knowledge on the part of any person not dir- ectly engaged on the project. By early August, it was decided to, proceed with the project. Under date of August.. 19th, Lambuth, Sill & Co. , in behalf of the Defense Plant Corporation, filed with Col. B . C. Dunn, District Engineer,, United States Engineers; Jack Taylor, Commissioner of Public Lands at Olympia,. Washington; and the Board of Commissioners of the Port of Seattle a confidential statement revealing the fact that the plant was to be constructed _ at Renton and requesting that no application be accepted or permits granted to anyone for leasing or constructing buildings on or ad- jacent to Commercial Waterway District No. 2 adjoining the new plant site, or within the area of the inner and outer harbor lines of, Lake Washington on the north. Prompt acknowledgement was re- ceived from all three parties . No communication was directed to the Commissioners of Waterway District No. 2 as Lambuth, Sill & Co. was at that time of the opinion that the jurisdiction for the granting of permits rested with the United States Engineers. The, engineers designing the plant, months in advance of any knowledge on the part of the public, provided for the use of a strip 100 feet wide along the east side of the right-of-way of Commercial Waterway District No. .2. Such plan was followed be- cause the width of the plant site between Williams Street and the east line of the Commercial Waterway was not sufficient to provide for the several buildings and allow room for driveways and second- , ary structures. This plan of using the 100-foot strip was later, abandoned when it was found that existing laws would not permit the The Honorable Mayor andCity Council City of Renton Page 3 - January 6, 1942 - Waterway Commissioners to sell the land without an election and approval of the voters. In order to offset the loss of the 100- foot strip, it was decided to request the vacation of Williams Street. The size of the Renton plant will not differ greatly from the manufacturing area of the new Boeing East Marginal Way Seattle plant . The necessity for the full protection of the Ren- ton plant can best be emphasized by calling your attention to what has been done in Seattle, i. e. , the placing of guards completely surrounding the plant, and the closing of West Marginal Way (Pacific Highway) in front of the plant. This highway, prior to its recent closing, carried in the neighborhood of 20,000 vehicles per day, yet the Army summarily ordered its closing. Williams Street North goes nowhere. It ends at the inner harbor line, which is south of the actual water's edge of the lake. The street does not extend out into the water. The area beyond, that is between the inner and outer harbor lines, is being leased by the Defense Plant Corporation from the Port of Seattle. No person, _unless authorized by the Government , will be permitted in that area. We have been informed that in the past the public has been using to some extent the area beyond the end of Williams Street, as well as some of the property to the west, as a resort, and bathing beach, this with or without the consent of the Port of Seattle and the private owners . Williams Street, which petitioners request be vacated, can be of no possible use to the public . It is not required for - fire or police protection or as a thoroughfare. If not permanent- ly closed, there would be a more or less steady stream of curious- ity seekers driving or walking along the street adjacent_ to the Defense Plant. We may all rest assured that aliens and those who are disloyal to our country would avail themselves of that oppor- tunity. It is to be expected that never again in the lifetime of any of the citizensnow living will the Government permit the com- plete freedom of citizens and others to roam upon or near our great defense institutions. Williams Street must be permanently closed for the full protection of this new great sea plane plant. ---There is, of course, no desire to deprive the citizens of Renton of anything which they have heretofore enjoyed, but it must be remembered that what they have heretofore enjoyed in a small way, they had as the result of the generosity of the owners of the property and not because of any title of ownership. Even • ' The Honorable Mayor and City Council City of Renton Page 4 - January 6,1942 though the Government would offer no objection to the use of the area beyond the plant site as a swimming beach, doubtless the Renton police authorities would forbid such use due to the danger to life from the constant taking off and landing of the sea planes. To summarize the vacation of Williams Street as re- quested is necessary (a) to increase the area of the plant site, ' and (b) for the immediate and permanent protection of a great de- fense plant. Respectfully submitted, LAMBUTH ( SILL &f/C . � r 1?-e By EGS/b E. '. Sill . i , • Seattle, Washington, • rAt December � ; 1941. Honorable City Council, City of Renton, Renton, Washington. The undersigned, owners of all abutting property, do hereby petition your Honorable Body for the vacation of that portion of Williams Street North, in the City of Renton, as shown upon the print attached hereto and made a part hereof and described as follows: Beginning on the north with the Inner IIarbor Line of Lake Washington and continuing south and east to a line extending northeasterly and southwesterly across said Williams Street North, which line is 30 feet northwest of and parallel to the meander line as said meander line extends across said Williams Street North. Owners, of all land ad- PUGET SOUND POWER & LIGHT COMPANY, • jacent to and abutting a Massachusetts corporation, on the easterly side of that portion of Williams , Street North above de- By scribed Itsem Tr asurer By (.2 C o.n6.Ap Its Assistant Secretary • Owners of all land ad- DEFENSE PLANT CORPORATION, jacent to and abutting a corporation created pursuant on the westerly side of to and by virtue of an Act of that portion of Williams Congress entitled s!Reconstruc- Street North above de- tion Finance Corporation Act, " scribed approved January 22, 1932, as amended, By BOEING AIRCRAFT COMPANY, Agent for Defense ant Corporation, • ; / By 4 °, -f3 •� -( By Its • -1- ST-ATE OF WASHINGTON, ss. County of King. /74 On this /l9 day of December, 1941, before me per- sonally appeared F. W. BROWNELL and D. J. TORRANCE, to me known to be the Treasurer and Assistant Secretary, respectively, of PUGET SOUND POWER & LIGHT COMPANY, the corporation that executed the within and foregoing instrument, and acknowledged said in- strument to be the free and voluntary act and deed of said cor- poration, for the uses and purposes therein mentioned, and on oath stated that they were authorized to execute said instru- ment and that the seal affixed is the corporate seal of said corporation. IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand and affixed my official seal the day and year first above written_. Notary Purlrc in and for the State of Washington, residing at Seattle. -2- STATE OF WASHINGTON, ss. County of K i n g. On this de.: day of Dece ber, 1941, before me per- sonally appear and er-�•v�,•�_ , to me known to be the ;00 ,re- spectively, of BOEING AIRCRAFT COMPANY, the corporation that executed the within and foregoing instrument as agent for De- fense Plant Corporation, and acknowledged said instrument to be the free and voluntary act and deed of said corporation, for the uses and purposes therein mentioned, and on oath stated that they were authorized to execute said instrument for and on behalf of Boeing Aircraft Company, -a corporation, and that the seal affixed is the corporate seal of said corporation. IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand and affixed my official seal the day and year first above written. Notary Pub c in and for the State of Washington, residing at Seattle -3- y�o i i y�o i i