S-2352               _______________________________________________

                                 SUBSTITUTE SENATE JOINT MEMORIAL NO. 117

                        _______________________________________________

State of Washington                              49th Legislature                              1985 Regular Session

By Senate Committee on Governmental Operations (originally sponsored by Senators McDermott, Williams, Moore, Lee, Kreidler and Talmadge; by 1989 Washington Centennial Commission request)

Read first time 3/8/85.

TO THE HONORABLE RONALD REAGAN, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES, AND TO THE PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE AND THE SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, AND TO THE SENATE AND HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE UNITED STATES, IN CONGRESS ASSEMBLED:

          We, your Memorialists, the Senate and House of Representatives of the State of Washington, in legislative session assembled, respectfully represent and petition as follows:

          WHEREAS, The Naval Reserve Base at South Lake Union in Seattle is shown as a waterfront park in Seattle development plans from the original design by Frederick Law Olmstead to the present; and

          WHEREAS, Access to the shorelines of the state must be improved; and

          WHEREAS, Revitalization of Lake Union and the City of Seattle are contingent upon adequate recreational space and access to the water; and

          WHEREAS, Puget Sound is the only major port on the west coast without a maritime heritage center; and

          WHEREAS, The Naval Reserve Base land was donated to the Navy by the City of Seattle and more than half the cost of the facility was paid by the State of Washington; and

          WHEREAS, The Naval Reserve Base was planned to be open to the Boy Scouts, the Sea Scouts, and other community activities; and

          WHEREAS, The public has privately financed the development of a new public waterfront park, the Center For Wooden Boats, to the east of the base which drew over 100,000 visitors in 1984; and

          WHEREAS, The City of Seattle, working with the Trust for Public Lands, the Seattle Yacht Club, the Bullitt Foundation, and the Northwest Seaport, has acquired new public waterfront park land to the west of the base; and

          WHEREAS, The Centennial Partnership Corporation and the Legislative Budget Committee studies have shown that a maritime historical park like Northwest Seaport attracts new tourists to the state and enhances the economy of the state; and

          WHEREAS, The Northwest Seaport project is supported by the Washington State Centennial Commission;

          NOW, THEREFORE, Your Memorialists respectfully pray that the President and the Congress authorize a study by the Washington Congressional delegation, in consultation with the Navy, affected community groups, and the City of Seattle of the feasibility of transferring the South Lake Union Naval Reserve Base to an ownership which will allow development of a maritime historical center and public waterfront park as part of the celebration of the 1989 Washington State Centennial.

          BE IT RESOLVED, That copies of this Memorial be immediately transmitted to the Honorable Ronald Reagan, President of the United States, the President of the United States Senate, the Speaker of the United States House of Representatives, and each member of Congress from the State of Washington.