A long-promised WinCo grocery at the former Sam’s Club on Aurora Avenue is on hold again after a city hearing examiner tossed out Seattle’s environmental finding last Thursday and sent the project back for a do-over. The decision puts fresh scrutiny on traffic, stormwater and pollution impacts, and leaves neighbors wondering how much longer the big-box shell will sit idle.
Hearing examiner reverses city’s environmental ruling
The hearing examiner overturned the Seattle Department of Construction & Inspections’ Determination of Non-Significance, concluding the agency made a mistake when it evaluated the WinCo plan against the traffic and activity of a busy warehouse club instead of the building’s current status as a mostly vacant site. That ruling, issued last Thursday, kicks the Master Use Permit and SEPA record back to SDCI for a fresh baseline analysis, according to the Seattle Hearing Examiner. The Seattle Times first reported the reversal and outlined what it could mean for the stalled project.
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