Politics & Government

Kirkland City Council to Consider $5 Million Purchase of Rail Corridor

The City Council will consider buying the 5.5 miles of abandoned railway in Kirkland from the Port of Seattle for a trail and possible future light transportation corridor.

The city of Kirkland has reached an agreement with the Port of Seattle to buy 5.5 miles of abandoned railway through Kirkland for $5 million and will present the plan to the City Council on Monday.

The railroad stretches from the Totem Lake area south almost to state Route 520, and would be developed over time, first as a trail and later also as a light transportation corridor.

“I’ve made no secret, I think this is a once in a lifetime opportunity for the city,” City Manager Kurt Triplett said Friday. “If we are going to buy it, now is the time. It will never be cheaper. I really believe it can be a game-changer for Kirkland, to connect the community in so many ways.”

Several years ago the Port of Seattle purchased the entire 44-mile "Eastside Rail Corridor" from Snohomish to Renton. King County wants to buy the whole thing and had been discussing some arrangement with the port. However, the county lacks the money to buy it, and after those talks dragged on, the port and the city entered serious negotiations in March for the Kirkland portion.

The plan before the council would be for the city to buy the 5.5-mile stretch outright, essentially loaning itself the money through existing capital funds, which would have to be paid back over six years. The sale would be subject to a 60-day “due diligence” inspection period, so the city could determine and address any issues with the corridor. If it clears that hurdle, the purchase would be finalized in March.

“This is a big bite for the city of Kirkland,” Triplett acknowledged. “We don’t have the money to develop it. If the council chooses to buy it, we will look anywhere and everywhere for the money to develop it.”

The city would conduct several public meetings on the plan to gather input.

The money for the purchase could be found in a number of ways, Triplett said, including using existing funds for other parks and transportation projects that would be de-prioritized, a parks funding levy that is currently being examined by , or a 20-year municipal bond.

“The good news is that while it is a difficult economic time, there are a number of ways to pay for this,” he said.

The City Council in April adopted a vision statement for the rail corridor, and it is expected to approve the purchase. The plan is seen as a way to connect Kirkland’s neighborhoods, parks, schools and businesses, and by linking it with some sort of community park or commons, as a way to --another council priority.

The council will review the purchase plan at a study session Monday at City Hall, beginning at 6 p.m. It will formally consider the purchase at its regular session, which starts at 7:30 p.m., and will take public comment. To see the entire meeting agenda, which includes a PDF file with a city staff memo detailing the plan, click here. The PDF file is also attached to this story.


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