This week's Weekly 'Gristle" salutes the city for funding a building pad to overcome "profound geotechnical issues" for a building they encouraged at the corner of Railroad and Holly.  But there's more to the story.

Once the notorious Pit, the city acquired the property after the original building burned down, leaving a hole in the ground.  Originally purchased for a parking garage, it now houses Starbucks coffee and the architectural offices of PUD incumbent candidate Jeff McClure - ironically creating parking demand instead of supply.  McClure partnered on the venture with Barclay Village interests who were benefiting from an exodus of professional services leaving downtown because of a parking deficit.

In a "special process" that skirted city procedures for disposing of property, McClure's proposal for the imposing gateway structure was selected from among just one other in a well-under-market sweetheart deal.  After McClure's design was selected, he revealed that coal galleys under the site presented geotechnical issues that required the city to sweeten the pot with several hundred thousand additional public dollars.

Here's the kicker: McClure, years earlier when the city first considered acquisition, testified for an appraisal that the coal galleys below the site would prevent anything more than a three story stick-framed structure from being built.  Nevertheless, his proposal was for a much more substantial structure.

In the bargain, 32 young people advocating for more public space instead of an insider giveaway were arrested and vigorously prosecuted in what at the time was dubbed the Pitgate Scandal.

Today, as PUD commissioner, McClure recently brokered another apparent insider, sweetheart deal with the backers of the proposed coal dump at Cherry Point.  At a time when issues of water rights and availability are thornier than ever, McClure bent policy and maybe law to revive, extend and transfer defunct, expiring water rights for 5.33 million gallons a day to the proposed Gateway Pacific coal terminal for the next 30 years. 

Challenging PUD Commission candidate Bob Burr said, “I believe this transfer was illegal because it did not meet state standards for such a transfer of rights. These purchased rights were set to expire next year, but rather than wait until the decision on coal terminal permitting was in, the PUD last year unanimously and unnecessarily approved extension of those rights for 30 years to 2042."