Ballard Coalition v. City of Seattle, Cascade Bicycle Club
This case is a consolidation of five separate cases concerning the City of Seattle’s efforts to complete the “Missing Link,” a 1.4-mile unbuilt section of the 28-mile Burke-Gilman Trail that runs from Golden Gardens Park to the Sammamish River Trail. In 2023, the Shoreline Hearings Board (SHB) determined that the “Missing Link” was not SEPA-exempt, and the King County Superior Court (KCSC) granted summary judgment to the Coalition, based on the SHB’s decision, and ordered the City to comply with SEPA. The issues on appeal are (1) whether the Coalition had standing to challenge the “Missing Link”; (2) whether the KCSC had jurisdiction; (3) whether the SHB erred in determining that the “Missing Link” was not SEPA-exempt; and (4) whether the KCSC’s order violated the separation of powers doctrine. COA #857401. King County Superior Court #18-2-04988-1-SEA; 21-2-16060-0-SEA; 22-2-18402-7-SEA; Thurston County Superior Court # 23-2-03988-34; 23-2-02807-34.