Minutes Exhibit B
Port Commission Special Meeting
of April 10, 2018

April 10, 2018

Courtney Gregoire
President
Seattle Port Commission
Madame President,
Thank you for the opportunity to make public comments in person.
I have expressed concerns to the Seattle Port Commission for the past year about the closure
of Pier 86. I am just as much in the dark now as I was last April. I contacted the Port at that time
when I heard the pier would be closed, but no one seemed to know about it. The pier was
locked off and posted with a no-trespassing sign four months later, right as salmon fishing
season was starting, without any prior notice to the public. Since that time, only one other
information sign has been added in the area, a simple sign north of the pier that states that the
pier is closed.
As a member of the public, I would expect to see an information sign posted by the pier where I
can read about why it was closed, the responsibility shared by the WA Dept of Fish & Wildlife,
where to call for information, and when to expect that the pier will be reopened. To this day, I
am still not clear on what has to happen to get the public fishing pier reopened, other than
finding money for it, or how I can personally help get it reopened for fishing.
Right after the pier was closed last August, I contacted people that I thought would want to know
or share the information, or perhaps could help get the pier fixed. I contacted the State
Department of Fish & Wildlife asking about it, and received a press release from their their
public affairs unit, unsigned, stating that I could find the answers to my questions in their news
release, providing a link to it.
I also contacted the governor and state legislators. Senator Pederson responded, but he just
said that Pier 69 was open for fishing, without committing to help or otherwise direct me as a
member of the public trying to solve a problem that affects the public. I contact members of the
Seattle City Council, but didn't get any traction there. And finally, I contacted the city's Office of
Immigration and Refugee Affairs. This office was the only agency I contacted that thanked me
for my advocacy.
In response to a letter I sent to the Port Commission last August expressing my concern about
the sudden closure of the pier without notice to the public, I received an email from Commission
staff explaining that said that, " the Port is working closely with Department of Fish and Wildlife
to manage decisions about the future of the pier." But I have not been updated. I have hearg   
,
A__ recently through the grapevine that is the community that the pier has been offered to Expedia, ?
along with the adjacent waterfront access areas.       ------ ,

As a member of the public, not having access to the full context of what is actually happening, it
sounds to me like the giveover of a public amenity and lands to a private company, and this
does not sit well for me.

A bronze plaque installed just north of the pier, dedicated by the Seattle Port Commission and
Port of Seattle CEO in 1980, states that, "This Public Access Shoreline Site was built in 1980 for
the citizens of King County."  I understand that money needs to be found in order to x the
fishing pier and reopen it, but this amenity was built for the public and therefore it doesn't seem
right to me it should be transferred to a private corporation. Though I don't know the in's and
out's of it, it somehow raises a red flag for me.  I am concerned that the private lessee or owner
of this large bit of public lands will have too much control over what happens to the pier and the
trail, etc. And perhaps, too, they would like to put up large signs that will dominate the area
visually and detract from the views. And I'm concerned about what happens to Fish On, a
business that thrived at the pier until the pier was closed, and should be supported at this time
and in the future.

l have attached to my letter a photo of the plaque installed by the pier, and several photos that I
took of people who were fishing at Pier 86 on June 10, 2017. I received their consent to take
these photos. I hope that you will take time to thoughtfully review these photos and consider
what more you can do to get the pier reopened without giving the control of it and the adjacent
public lands over to a private corporation.

Sincerely.

CMLWM
Heather McAuliffe
124 Warren Ave N. #304
Seattle, WA 98109
206-633-1467

Cc: Stephanie Bowman
Ryan Calkins
Fred Felleman
Peter Steinbrueck

Attachments: photos taken by Heather McAuliffe on June 10, 2017

4"7
1    f      73ort of Seattle

This Public Shoreline Access ' ,
Site was built in 1980 for
the citizens of King County.

Port of Seattle Commissioners
Merle D. Adl'um, President
Jack S. Block
Paul S. Friedlander
"
Henry L. Ko-tkins
Henry T. Simonson
RiChas'r'd D. Ford
.1              Mk

Obey Scoop Laws
Park Code 0rd. 106615
a
ATTENTION
Centemiial Park
Fishing Pier is closed.
63
' Public fishing available






























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at Pier 69.







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