In exchange for acquiring a 20-foot-wide section of BNSF Railway’s right-of-way on the old Prairie Line, the council committed the city to closing A Street where it crosses the railroad’s main line at Dock Street, a condition that bothered several council members.

The deal also included a complicated land transaction that will result in development of a huge new distribution center on the railroad’s old shops property in South Tacoma. The 157-acre property is a former Superfund site vacant since 1974.

City officials were eager to get the property back onto the tax rolls, and were excited about the estimated 500 to 600 jobs it is expected to bring.

But council members complained they were not informed of the decision by city staff to tie the issues together, and that they learned about details of the bargain after the fact.

The two elements – the potential trail development and the redevelopment of the old railroad shops property – are unrelated except that BNSF Railway is involved in both of them.

City officials linked the two issues as part of a strategy aimed at acquiring a portion of the Prairie Line from the railroad for a trail, something that they had tried and failed to accomplish for years.

Ryan Petty, director of the city’s Community and Economic Development Department, told council members the decision to approve the deal was up to them, a statement that drew a response from Councilman Jake Fey.

“I would say we have a choice, but we didn’t have a voice,” said Fey, who apologized to his constituents for failing to pick up on the issue after a receiving a memo about it in December.

“I missed this one,” he said. “I probably should have caught it and demanded an executive session.”

Council members frequently discuss real estate negotiations in executive session, or closed-door meetings.

Fey said he was concerned the city was not getting enough from the railroad in exchange for closing the A Street crossing, which raises traffic safety issues for the railroad. The closure will occur in about 90 days, city officials said, but it could take years to develop a trail on the Prairie Line, Fey said.

The resolution was approved by a majority of council members on a voice vote. Fey and Councilman Mike Lonergan were heard casting “no” votes.

Lonergan quizzed city officials about several issues, including the possibility that the federal Surface Transportation Board could require the railroad to offer the entire right-of-way, which is about 80 feet wide, to be used by a government for regional transportation. As part of the process, the railroad will have to seek the board’s approval to abandon the line.

City Attorney Elizabeth Pauli said the city is researching the issue, but she did not agree with Lonergan’s assessment that the council should wait for an answer before voting on the resolution.

City Manager Eric Anderson said the city could end up with the entire 80-foot right-of-way if the Surface Transportation Board made such a ruling, but the only way to get the railroad to start the process was to approve the resolution.

Councilwoman Connie Ladenburg said the deal was a good one. She cited the number of new jobs at the distribution center, the access to the waterfront through a trail and the potential for new off-ramps from Highway 509, which requires cooperation from the railroad.

“Put this on the scales and it seems to me the city is really benefiting hugely from these negotiations,” Ladenburg said.

Councilwoman Lauren Walker said she had been closely involved in the issue since January, and offered praise for the city officials who negotiated the deal.

But Councilwoman Marilyn Strickland said she supported the resolution “with a bit of heartburn” over the closure of A Street. Likewise, Councilwoman Julie Anderson said she supported the deal because of the “weight of public benefit.

“But it is not without some unhappiness,” she said.

Jason Hagey: 253-597-8542

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