Business owners rally against West Seattle light rail extension

Light rail extension faces pushback from West Seattle store owners

Business owners, neighbors, and supporters rallied Thursday against Sound Transit’s West Seattle Link Extension. The project could potentially force several businesses to close and relocate.

SEATTLE - In the battle of big business versus small business, store owners in West Seattle hope to win the fight. Business owners, neighbors, and supporters rallied on Thursday along Delridge Way South, opposing Sound Transit’s West Seattle Link Extension on that street. The project could potentially force several businesses to close and relocate.

Laurel Trujillo, owner of Ounces Taproom and Beer Garden, hosted the rally. She has run the business successfully on Delridge Way for eight years.

"We’re a thriving business, we survived COVID, we survived the bridge outage. And now something like light rail is what’s going to come in and force us to relocate," said Trujillo.

Sound Transit’s proposed plans for the route stretch from SODO to Alaska Junction, with Delridge Way in the middle. Voters approved the expansion in 2016, including Trujillo. However, she said at that time she was unaware her business would potentially be at risk of closure and relocation.

"It’s a lack of transparency. As a business owner, it’s very challenging to operate your business with such uncertainty," said Trujillo. "We embrace light rail, we’re not against light rail. I voted for it; I support light rail. But the thing that we struggle with is not getting the adequate amount of funding that we need to actually go and successfully relocate our business."

Trujillo said for years, store owners, neighbors, and advocates have been meeting with Sound Transit, city, and county leaders about alternative routes to prevent closures.

"But when it comes down to the root and the core of it, Sound Transit seems very unwilling to hear our feedback. It’s almost as if this route is already set in stone and the feedback of the community is kind of falling on deaf ears," said Trujillo.

During Thursday’s rally, community members called on Sound Transit to change its plans, provide a timeline and adequate funds to relocate, or at the very least be transparent about what’s to come.

"Where the route is even going, what does that design look like? What are the impacts to traffic, to the environment? It’s such a broad and complex topic that I just feel like the average community member doesn’t have a full understanding of how this is going to change our community and change west Seattle," said Trujillo. "Not knowing how much you’re going to get from Sound Transit is a big issue. And that goes back to the lack of transparency there."

Officials with Sound Transit said their relocation agents work with businesses to determine specific needs, find a replacement property, and moving expenses are not capped.

Officials further said in a written statement, "Sound Transit is fully committed to ensuring the successful relocation of businesses. There are many challenges and intricacies involved in moving a business, and our relocation team is prepared to go above and beyond to provide support throughout the entire process. We prioritize the unique needs of the business and try to minimize disruptions. We also strive to find ways that will enable the business to continue operations with minimal stress and maximum efficiency."

"Could it be one year, could it be two years, could it be five years? With that level of no timelines and uncertainty, how do you operate a business and how do you plan for the future?" asked Trujillo.

Sound Transit said it is finalizing the Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) and will publish it later this year. Officials said after that, the Sound Transit Board will pick the project to be built in west Seattle. Afterward, the process of property acquisition and relocation will start.