Yesterday, the Seattle City Council voted 8-1 in favor of a plan to turn over an alley to Amazon that runs through a Denny Triangle block adjacent to where the company is building two office towers. The Council delayed voting on the petition given concerns raised about the public’s right to exercise free speech should the alley go into private hands. Those concerns were addressed in an amendment sponsored by Council members Tim Burgess, Lorena Gonzalez and Lisa Herbold on Monday. Under the plan, Amazon’s developer will build a public plaza, as well as street enhancements for pedestrians and cyclists.
According to the Seattle Times, Mike O’Brien and other council members said the city needs to rework the standards for what benefits it seeks when it allows companies to take over public streets and alleys. Only Councilmember Kshama Sawant voted against the so-called alley vacation, saying she would have preferred the plan go back to committee once more prior to voting on it.
