Rep. Jacobsen speaks on House floor against letting Sound Transit bypass local zoning regulations
Rep. Cyndy Jacobsen, R-Walla Walla, spoke on the House floor against Senate Bill 6309, questioning why the Legislature would give Sound Transit greater authority.
“They are $35 billion in the hole, and we’re going to let them write their own rules?” said Jacobsen. “There is even talk about increasing property taxes by 1% for everyone to cover the $35 billion hole they are in.”
The bill would let Sound Transit deviate from existing local zoning regulations, including height limits and setback requirements. Local governments would be required to accept the agency’s permit applications even if Sound Transit does not own the property.
“They are responsible for years-long delays on their projects,” Jacobsen said. “They’ve had construction errors. They’ve had misaligned track supports, bad concrete, service disruptions, and copper wire theft.”
