I personally can’t picture Seattle without recalling the scenic car rides over the Puget sound.
But as the bridge plans on being demolished this year other plans are also coming together. The Seattle city council proposes on creating the waterfront homes and condominiums into a connecting park, and path that ties the complex to the rest of downtown Seattle. Due to future plans to take down the viaduct the waterfront views are going to be much more open and inviting to the prior home owners, and other Seattle goers. Unfortunately, to pay for such a view property taxes on the waterfront are increasing. The Seattle council are raising property taxes to help fund this new park and walk way.
On May 21 the Seattle city council passed the waterfront local improvement district also known as LIDS. This way the increase in taxes from the residents are collected in this LID to be used for the new waterfront funding. Fortunately, homeowners that represent sixty percent of the LIDS funding can protest within 30 days prior to the decision resulting in a no go for the plans. It becomes tricky when current homeowners are already on a fixed income.
Increasing the amount of their prior property taxes doesn’t make life easier for them, and as a matter of fact no one wants to spend more money than they know they should. Though the money is going to create a new and improved waterfront it’s not benefiting residents currently residing there. This park and walkway aren’t making life better for them but instead making the community more crowded, and packed. There is no doubt the attraction is going to lure more tourist to the new updated waterfront, after all it’s a park made specifically for the tourists. If the council wanted to benefit the homeowners they would use the funds for roads, solar panels, electric vehicle charging station, bridges, environmental friendly buildings.
Other Important projects Seattle is dreading to accomplish. The city is renovating but getting the proper funding shouldn’t come from increased taxes. Honestly Seattle should just put in their downtown tolls and use the money for their projects, this way you’re killing two birds with one stone. Good for Seattle for wanting to re-invent their waterfront but increasing the residing homeowner’s property taxes isn’t the best way to accomplish the task.
