PORT OF SEATTLE 
MEMORANDUM 
COMMISSION AGENDA             Item No.      5c 
ACTION ITEM               Date of Meeting    June 26, 2012 
DATE:    June 19, 2012 
TO:     Tay Yoshitani, Chief Executive Officer 
FROM:    Melinda Miller, Director Portfolio and Asset Management 
Sean Sullivan, Real Estate Manager 
SUBJECT:  Pipeline Easement with Northwest Pipeline GP across the Eastside Rail Corridor
Railroad Right-of-Way in Snohomish County. 
Net Proceeds to the Port: $2,500.00 
ACTION REQUESTED:
Request Commission authorization for the Chief Executive Officer to execute a Pipeline
Easement with Northwest Pipeline GP across the Eastside Rail Corridor Right-of-Way in
Snohomish County to accommodate the installation and maintenance of an underground natural
gas pipeline crossing the Eastside Rail Corridor Railroad Right of Way near railroad Milepost
32.27, near Maltby in Snohomish County, Washington. The Port will receive $2,500.00 for the
easement rights granted. 
SYNOPSIS:
Commission authorization is requested for the Chief Executive Officer to execute a Pipeline
Easement with Northwest Pipeline GP to accommodate the installation and maintenance of an
underground natural gas pipeline 59 feet underground crossing the Eastside Rail Corridor Rightof-Way
(ROW) near railroad Milepost 32.27, near Maltby, Snohomish County, Washington.
The compensation for the Pipeline Easement was based on an appraisal with an appropriate
discount for the type and depth of the easement. 
BACKGROUND: 
Upon acquisition of the Eastside Rail Corridor ROW in December 2009, the Port of Seattle
assumed responsibility to oversee, maintain, preserve and protect the real estate rights and the
rail banking obligations established within the ROW, which includes existing construction and
maintenance agreements, permits, licenses and easements. The Port's roles in its ownership of
the corridor includes addressing any and all requests for new third party rights and interests in
the Port ROW, while ensuring that any use of the ROW does not infringe upon the Port's current
and future uses.

COMMISSION AGENDA 
Tay Yoshitani, Chief Executive Officer 
June 20, 2012 
Page 2 of 2 

On May 18, 2011, the Port received an Application for a Pipe Line Crossing from Northwest 
Pipeline GP related to the installation and maintenance of an underground natural gas pipeline 
crossing the Port's Eastside Rail Corridor ROW near Maltby in Snohomish County. The Port
Legal Department determined that an easement would be required to accommodate this request. 
Northwest Pipeline GP currently has crossing rights under an existing "Irrigation Canal,
Drainage Canal, Water Pipe or Sewer Pipe Permit" which was acquired by the Port through the
purchase of the corridor. That agreement provides for two existing natural gas lines: one 8-inch
line and one 16-inch line situated approximately 18 feet north of the proposed easement. The
pipeline related to this new easement will replace the existing 8-inch line with a 20-inch diameter
steel pipeline. The pipeline will be directionally bored approximately 59 feet below the rails.
Little or no other access to the ROW will be required and the underground boring activity will
not impact surface operations. Once the project is complete, the Port will require the former 8-
inch line to be abandoned in place, based on Port engineering recommendations former Permit
will be terminated as to this abandoned line. 
Port staff has completed due diligence and obtained and reviewed all relevant documentation
relating to the proposed pipeline crossing. The Port's Engineering Department has determined
that the request conforms to our utility accommodation guidelines. Additionally, the Pipeline
Easement has been prepared by the Port's Legal Department and reviewed by both the
Environmental and Risk Management Departments.
In considering the Pipeline Easement, Port staff has reviewed the installation and maintenance of
the natural gas pipeline with the interest of safety, rail worker protection, current freight 
operations and future uses of this section of the ROW in mind. Consideration was given to allow 
for the continued accommodation of adequate utility installations proposed by public and private 
utility services.
Compensation for the Pipeline Easement was established by a current appraisal of the ROW at
the location of the easement. Using a typical gas main easement width of 20 feet and reflecting
the fact that the pipeline is subterranean, an appropriate discount from the fee simple value as
established by the Consulting Report previously obtained by the Port was applied. Based on
these calculations, compensation for the easement was set at our requested minimum of
$2,500.00. 
OTHER DOCUMENTS ASSOCIATED WITH THIS REQUEST: 
Pipeline Easement (drafted and fully negotiated) 
Map of Proposed Easement Location 
PREVIOUS COMMISSION ACTIONS OR BRIEFINGS:
No previous actions or briefings.