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Council incumbents face stiff opposition Light-rail hot issue among candidates BY NAT LEVY nlevy@bellevuereporter.com
Arjun Sirohi looks at red a line painted through his backyard that he says is one of the options Sound Transit sees for its light-rail line. CHAD COLEMAN, Bellevue Reporter
A train in his backyard? Bellevue man worries light rail may be 20-feet from his house BY NAT LEVY nlevy@bellevuereporter.com
Arjun Sirohi takes in a cool fall morning on his second-story deck. A lush, green backyard flanked with a line of trees and hedges protects the home from the noises emanating from the nearby street. Situated just off 112th Avenue, one of the main thoroughfares into downtown, Sirohi’s home is close to the action. A quick walk takes him into Bellevue’s bustling downtown where he works as a software engineer. His day done, Sirohi can return to his
dwelling. But he can’t help but look at the orange line drawn midway through his backyard – the place, he says, where Sound Transit may locate tracks for its East Link light-rail trains. As currently envisioned, the train is proposed to head north into downtown on the east side of 112th Avenue before crossing at Southeast Sixth. But two design changes considered by the council would take the train west sooner – a route that could impact the locals, but may also take some of the intersection crossings and noise problems out of the equation.
Sirohi said he feels “terrible, but not hopeless,� about the prospect of a train coming into his backyard. These options could put the train less than 20 feet from his back door. Sirohi cited Sound Transit’s data saying that it would intrude 21 feet into his property line, leaving only 18 feet between the train and his home. Sound Transit officials said they won’t know all the details until they delve into the final design process that will occur over the next three years. One of the options has the train at
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Four City Council seats are on the ballot this November with two incumbents facing stiff competition. Claudia Balducci and John Chelminiak are being challenged by Seattle firefighter Patti Mann and AT&T executive Michelle Hilhorst, respectively. Another seat is open as Grant Degginger decided not to run for another term, citing a loss of congeniality on the council. Landuse attorney Aaron Laing and retired lawyer John Stokes are facing off for MORE ELECTION that spot. In the fourth council seat NEWS ON PAGES Councilmember Jennifer Robertson 8-11 is running unopposed. Much of the debate and discussion in the contested races has centered on light-rail. Laing and Mann have publicly stated their preference for a route that runs along the BNSF rail corridor, known as the B7, while Hilhorst has not indicated a choice. The City Council favored B7 by a 4-3 margin. Hilhorst, Laing and Mann have received donations from Betty and Kemper Freeman, and both Mann and Laing have gotten money from Councilmember and developer Kevin Wallace. Stokes and the council incumbents have received donations from the Bellevue Club, Bellevue firefighters, and prominent developers John Su and Ron Sher. Balducci and Chelminiak are running on their track record. Responding to a question at a forum last week, Chelminiak noted he can help Bellevue be a power player. Pointing to his cell phone, he said he knows just about everybody in the area, and when he calls, people will pick up. Both Mann and Hilhorst emphasize fiscal leadership and public safety. With nearly 30 years experience as a firefighter in Seattle, Mann calls herself the public safety candidate. Stokes, who serves on the city’s Parks and Community Services Board, has emphasized schools and city services. He wants decisive, open discussion on projects that move forward at a brisk pace. Laing, an Enatai resident, says he is passionate about the quality of Bellevue’s neighborhoods. Along with being a vibrant job center, he wants to preserve a family-friendly Bellevue. He says he will fight to make sure neighborhoods don’t lose valuable projects, such as getting sidewalks all throughout town.
Nat Levy can be reached at 425-453-4290.
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