More Questions on Shorewood Rebuild and Preserving Shoreline Historical Museum

Questions Remain on the Preservation of the 

Shoreline Historical Museum

SEPA Process Run by School District Does NOT Identify  Museum as a Historical Landmark!

Photo credit - Vicki Westberg

        Just before the School Bond/Levy Election a few months ago, a momentous "Agreement in Principal" was arrived at through negotiations between representatives of the School Board and Museum Board, convened by the City of Shoreline. At the time, it was agreed that if the Bonds/Levy passed, the Museum would be provided enough funding to move the Ronald School Building a short distance from it's current site and also move to temporary quarters at the Sunset Elementary School.

         But now the SEPA Threshold Determination has been issued and some serious concerns have arisen about the proposed rebuild of the High Schools and the taxpayer dollars at stake 

($149 Million for Bonds!). The District's Motto on it's Bond projects is "Committed to Program Excellence". Well how 'bout let's start with the SEPA process?

• The Shoreline School District's Deputy Superintendent, Marcia Harris is the SEPA responsible official and the District is responsible for determining if there is any significant environmental impact related to the proposed rebuilding of it's two High Schools. Why didn't the School District send the SEPA Threshold Determination to the Shoreline Historical Museum Board?

• Why didn't the District identify the Museum as a Historical Landmark in its SEPA checklist?

• Why didn't the District sign a contract with the Museum when an agreement in principal was reached just before the School Bond/Levy election? 

• Why was a DNS (Determination of Non Significance) issued in this case and not a "Mitigated DNS"?

• How can the District expect the Museum and the Community around the High Schools to make plans for these major projects when parties of record are left out?

• Exactly where and how is the Museum Building to be moved and the Museum contents to be displaced, when they are not notified? 

• How can the moving of a historically significant building of this magnitude be construed as "Non-Significant" by the SEPA Responsible Official?

• How can people in Shoreline and those who care about our history be assured that the Ronald School Building's historical integrity, investments and Landmark Status will be intact?

Just sayin'?