Port Candidate Tom Albro presses commission to help Green River Businesses

Tom Albro, candidate for Position 4 on the Port of Seattle Commission, on Oct. 7 asked the Port Commissioners to step up and offer help vacant port properties to the Green River Valley businesses likely to be caught in winter floods.

Albro presented a letter to current Commissioners during their weekly public meeting. In the letter, he stressed the economic impact that a possible flood would have on the Port of Seattle saying, “Our region’s economy – and the health of our port – significantly depends on the daily labor of people and businesses in the river valley. We could lose up to $46 million a day in economic activity if the south county warehouses and businesses are underwater.”

Albro rounded out his plan for the Port’s course of action in four bullet points:

· Make currently unoccupied Port property available for short-term rental to businesses with locations in the potential flood area;

· Give priority to small businesses and those least able to otherwise continue operations in the event of a flood;

· Work with jurisdictions in which property is located to maximize the properties available and minimize the regulatory hurdles of temporary occupancy and use;

· Encourage other public and private property owners to make their vacant property similarly available.

Former Port Commission candidate Robert Walker said, “As a Renton resident, I’m keenly aware of the impact that potential Green River flooding is already having on area businesses. The Port of Seattle, as the county’s second largest landowner, has numerous vacant and underutilized properties in areas outside the flood zone. To help keep our economy moving, I urge the Commission to promptly make these properties available for short-term lease.”