Joe Szwaja, Candidate for Position One, Seattle, WA
Campaign Home Page
Joe Szwaja, Candidate for Seattle City Council, testifies about Alaska Building Controversy
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Wednesday, June 28, 2007.
Joe Szwaja, candidate for Seattle City Council Position 1 testified yesterday at a meeting of the Urban Development and Planning committee of the Seattle City Council related to the Alaska Building, which it sold to developers in 2005.
“As a high school teacher,” says Szwaja, “I know that it is very important that we don’t allow bullying, short cuts, or special treatment. In the same way, the city council needs to stand strong and refuse to allow bullying, short cuts or special treatment for wealthy, pushy developers”.
Numerous citizens asked the Council to deny the text amendment, and instead go through a more thorough contract rezone process. Szwaja, who has himself expressed concerns about the text amendment, notes that “developers, in effect, wrote the text amendment language for themselves months ago. It’s not right to allow big money interests to write their own rules. The Council should tell the project's developers that they must go through the same zoning process as everyone else. It’s only fair.”
During the committee hearing, Council members acknowledged that the developer’s promise to build housing was never put into the purchase and sales agreement. “The City Council blew it by not making sure that the agreement be put in writing and now the whole neighborhood looks like it will have to suffer the consequences,” said Szwaja. “We need people on the council who will provide strong and effective checks and balances to powerful development interests.”
****** For more information, contact: Campaign Headquarters Priority
Press Contact
Joe Szwaja, 206.420.1830
campaign@joeforcouncil.com
Gentry Lange, 206.498.3937
gentry@gentrylange.com