Seattle Parks and City Light Committee Meeting - May 20, 2026: Data Center Resolution, Easements, Preschool Contracts, and Salmon Habitat
Seattle Parks and City Light Committee Meeting - May 20, 2026
The Seattle City Council Parks and City Light Committee met on May 20, 2026, from 2:03 PM to 4:28 PM in Council Chamber, City Hall. Chair Debora Juarez presided, with Vice Chair Robert Kettle and members Maritza Rivera, Rob Saka, and Dan Strauss present (5 members). The agenda included a public hearing on salmon habitat land acquisitions, two easement authorizations, a current-use taxation application for a community garden, two 10-year preschool park facility contracts, and a briefing on a resolution addressing data center impacts. The committee voted on six ordinances and discussed the resolution without a vote. Public comment heavily focused on the proposed data center moratorium, with 28 speakers (19 in-person, 9 remote) overwhelmingly supporting it.
Public Comments & Testimony
- Data Center Moratorium (Res 322047): Twenty-six speakers urged the committee to support a moratorium on large-scale or AI data centers. Key points included: concerns about electrical grid capacity (citing projections of 9-20% of U.S. electricity by 2030), water usage, rising utility rates, environmental justice (likely siting in South Seattle), noise and air pollution, job displacement, threats to democracy, and the need for transparency (NDA issues). Several speakers identified themselves as Seattle residents, tech workers, climate activists, and representatives of organizations like 350 Seattle. One speaker (Evan Sutton) distinguished hyperscale AI data centers from traditional ones, noting proposed hyperscale centers would draw ~370 MW vs. 155 MW for existing 30+ centers. Another speaker (Ann Goodrich) spoke in support of the Madison Park Cooperative Preschool contract.
- Salmon Habitat Deeds (CB 121199): No public testimony was offered during the public hearing for this item.
- Current-Use Taxation (CB 121211): No public testimony was offered during the public hearing for this item.
Discussion Items
- Salmon Habitat Land Acquisitions (CB 121199): Dennis McLerran, Denise Krownbell, and Kate Engel (Seattle City Light) presented. The ordinance accepts deeds to 366 acres in Skagit County and ~1 acre in the Tolt River watershed for salmonid habitat protection under the Endangered Species Act. Since 2000, the program has protected 3,900 acres using $6.9 million in City Light funds and $10.6 million in state grants. The specific acquisitions used $860,000 in City Light funds and $5 million in state grants. The committee held a public hearing (no speakers), suspended rules, and voted 5-0 to recommend passage.
- Easement to Puget Sound Energy (CB 121204): William Devereaux and Katy Tassery (Seattle City Light) presented. The ordinance authorizes granting a 10’x90’ easement in Bellevue to Puget Sound Energy for a natural gas line to provide backup power for T-Mobile equipment on a City Light transmission pole. Concerns were raised about combustibles near transmission towers; Councilmember Strauss abstained after expressing safety concerns. The fair market value is $6,800. The committee voted 5-0 to recommend passage.
- Easement to King County (CB 121205): Same presenters. The ordinance authorizes a 65-square-foot permanent easement in Skyway (unincorporated King County) for an ADA sidewalk ramp. Fair market value is $500. The committee voted 4-0-1 (Strauss abstained) to recommend passage. Note: In the meeting, Strauss stated he abstained on the wrong bill (CB 121205 instead of CB 121204), but did not request a revote.
- Current-Use Taxation for Byers Bulldog Garden P-Patch (CB 121211): Karina Bull (Council Central Staff), Bill Bernstein (King County DNRP), and Eric Todderud (GROW) presented. The ordinance approves classification under the King County Public Benefit Rating System for a 5,700 sq ft community garden in West Seattle owned by GROW. The property, valued at ~$500,000, would receive a 50% property tax reduction (from ~$5,000 to ~$2,500) in exchange for maintaining open space with public access. The garden donates produce to food banks. The committee held a public hearing (no speakers), suspended rules, and voted 5-0 to recommend passage.
- Madison Park Cooperative Preschool Contract (CB 121212): Michele Finnegan and Kathleen Gantz (Seattle Parks and Recreation) presented. The ordinance authorizes a 10-year contract for the preschool to operate at Madison Beach Park Bathhouse (built 1938). The preschool serves ~130 children annually, provides $15,000 in scholarships, free community events, and facility maintenance. The total cash + public benefit over 10 years is $274,800. The committee voted 4-0 to recommend passage. Note: Minutes indicate Councilmember Rivera was absent for this vote, though present earlier; the transcript does not note her departure.
- Victory Heights Cooperative Preschool Contract (CB 121213): Same presenters. The ordinance authorizes a 10-year contract for the preschool to operate at Victory Heights Shelterhouse (built 1938, under city ownership since 1954). The preschool serves 42 students, provides over $2,000 in scholarships and ~$12,000 in free community events annually. The committee voted 5-0 to recommend passage.
- Data Centers Resolution (Res 322047): Eric McConaghy (Council Central Staff) briefed the committee. The resolution recognizes potential long-term impacts of data centers on electrical grid, water, rates, land use, jobs, and public health, and requests the mayor’s cooperation to develop policies and legislation. It anticipates a separate moratorium (to be voted on June 3, 2026, in the Land Use Committee) and a new City Light rate class for data centers. Chair Juarez noted plans to amend the resolution to include tribally protected treaty rights. The committee took no vote; discussion will continue on June 3. Councilmembers Kettle and Strauss expressed support for a cautious approach. Councilmember Kettle also highlighted the need for strong City Light leadership and the potential benefits of traditional data centers (e.g., waste heat reuse).
Key Outcomes
- CB 121199 (Salmon habitat deeds): Passed 5-0. Will go to full council on June 2, 2026.
- CB 121204 (Easement to PSE): Passed 5-0. Will go to full council on June 2, 2026.
- CB 121205 (Easement to King County): Passed 4-0-1 (Strauss abstained). Will go to full council on June 2, 2026.
- CB 121211 (Current-use taxation for P-patch): Passed 5-0. Will go to full council on June 2, 2026.
- CB 121212 (Madison Park preschool contract): Passed 4-0 (Rivera absent). Will go to full council on June 2, 2026.
- CB 121213 (Victory Heights preschool contract): Passed 5-0. Will go to full council on June 2, 2026.
- Res 322047 (Data centers): Briefed and discussed; no vote. Next steps: Chair Juarez will work with Councilmember Lynn (Land Use) on a joint approach. The Land Use Committee will consider a moratorium on June 3, 2026 at 9:30 AM, followed by this committee’s vote on the resolution at 2:00 PM the same day.
Meeting Transcript
Great, thank you, Seattle Channel. Good afternoon. It's good to see all you folks here today. Um today is I'm gonna call our meeting to order. Today is May 20th. This is the meeting of the parks in City Light Committee. It will now come to order. It is 203. I am Deborah Warez. Will the clerk please call the roll? Councilmember Strauss. Here. Councilmember Saka. Here. Councilmember Rivera. Present. Vice Chair Kettle. Here, Chair Warris. Here. Chair, there are five members present. Great. We have a quorum. Let's move on in our agenda to approval of the agenda. There's no objection, the agenda will be adopted. Not seeing any or hearing an objection, the agenda is indeed adopted. Today, folks, we will have three public comment periods. There will be a regular public comment period before items on the agenda and comments should be related to the items on today's agenda and within the purview of the committee. The second is a public hearing on the first agenda item, Council Bill 121199, which we are required to have for items that grant deeds of right to the state of Washington. Comments during this period during this public hearing should be related to that specific council bill. The third is a public hearing on the fourth agenda item, and that's council bill 121211, which we are required to have, which we are required under state law for applications for current use taxation. Comments during this public hearing should be related to the specific council bill. So today we have six ordinances and one resolution on the agenda. I'm going to briefly go through as the chair, what our agenda looks like, and then we'll get going. So as I share, there are six ordinances, one resolution. The first ordinance in which we will have the public hearing, and then I'll have to suspend the rules to vote. Is an endangered species act land deeds acceptance. This presentation speaks to the utilities environmental mitigation efforts under the endangered species act. This is part of the City Light's ongoing work to help protect critical habitat in the Skagit River and Toll River watersheds. There'll be a public hearing. The presentation will be presented by Seattle City Light, and those folks when they get up to the table can introduce themselves. Oh, I should add that the first ordinance I understand that Seattle City Light has a five-page PowerPoint to go with their presentation. The second ordinance is an easement allowance in which the City Light is granting a portion of fee owned property in Bellevue to Puget Sound Energy for fair market value payment. That is a seven-page PowerPoint, which they will walk us through as well. The third ordinance is an easement allowance in which City Light grants a portion of fee owned property in Skyway, unincorporated King County to King County for a fair market value payment for the purpose of installing curb ramps and sidewalks. Again, this presentation will be uh presented by Seattle City Light. The fourth ordinance, again we will move to suspend the rules and because we will have a public hearing. Is approving the application of a P patch for district one for the current use taxation under the King County public benefit rating system. And we have folks from Department of Natural Resources and Parks and Grow. The fifth and sixth ordinances authorize Seattle Parks and Recreation to renew leases, I'm sorry, with the Madison Park Cooperative Preschool in District 3 to operate and manage the Madison Park Bath House and with Victory Heights Cooperative Preschool in District 5 to operate and manage the Victory Heights Shelter House for an additional 10 years. Both of these contracts have public benefits, and the contract duration is 10 years.
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