Councilmembers press for stronger mitigation for construction impacts on small businesses and raise concern about grocery-store losses

Several councilmembers used the briefing to highlight small-business public-safety concerns and the economic impact of construction and reduced parking. Council member Rivera described a public-safety walk in Roosevelt where business owners reported break-ins and graffiti and a small business owner “said... parking, SDOT had taken out some parking... it has translated into 50% walk in business decrease for that small business.” Rivera said city departments including Seattle Public Utilities, SPD and Clean Cities joined the walk to inform small businesses about available services, such as graffiti cleanup if a business signs a waiver with SPU. Rivera said she convenes small-business public-safety walks to bring departments together for problem-solving and to identify mitigation options, including temporary loading or delivery signage. Council member Kettle and others raised the need for stronger mitigation planning for Sound Transit (ST3) and SDOT projects, warning that simultaneous projects downtown and in adjacent neighborhoods could compound harm for small businesses. Kettle noted Washington state law limits the city’s ability to “gift public funds,” which constrains direct financial compensation to businesses, and said city staff (including Council Director Markham McIntyre) had been asked to look into options. Council member Hollingsworth and others raised concerns that grocery-store closures in several districts risked reducing food access; Hollingsworth said grocery stores differ in which assistance programs they accept (SNAP/FoodLink equivalents) and emphasized the pharmacy services many grocery stores provide. No specific mitigation program or new funding was approved in the briefing; councilmembers said they will continue outreach and interagency coordination to identify practical steps to reduce construction and safety impacts on small businesses and grocery stores.