Sound Transit and the Federal Transit Administration have published the Draft Environmental Impact Statement for the Everett Link Extension, and the public comment period closes November 2, 2026. According to the October 15 Snohomish County Tomorrow presentation, the project would add about 16 miles of light rail from Lynnwood into Everett, with 7 new stations, opening between 2037 and 2041.
If you own or lease Snohomish County commercial real estate near I-5, SR 99, Airport Road, or Evergreen Way, this is the moment to find out whether your property is on the study list. Here's what the Draft EIS says, what Washington law provides if property is acquired, and what I'd do this week.
Where the Project Stands
The Draft EIS studies nine segments. Per the county presentation, Sound Transit has identified preferred alternatives in some and not others:
- Preferred alternatives identified: West Alderwood, SW Everett Industrial Center, Broadway/I-5, and Everett Station.
- No preferred alternative identified: Ash Way, Mariner, SR 99/Airport Road, SR 526/Evergreen Way, and the Operations and Maintenance Facility (OMF) North, which needs 80 to 100+ acres.
Sound Transit's schedule has the Board confirming or modifying preferred alternatives in late 2026 or early 2027, a Final EIS in late 2027, and the federal Record of Decision in early 2028. I'm not going to guess which alternatives will be chosen. Nobody outside the Board knows yet, and that's the point: input now can still shape the choices.
Is Your Property Listed?
Sound Transit says it has contacted owners whose property may be affected under any of the alternatives. The Draft EIS's Appendix G.2 lists potentially affected properties, and you can search it by address or parcel number. Sound Transit's own guidance is clear: being listed "does not mean we have decided to buy your property." It means the property is close to one or more of the options being studied.
Tenants should check too. A landlord may get the letter, but the tenant is the one running a business in the space. If your building is listed, ask your landlord what they've received.
What Washington Law Gives a Displaced Business
Two statutes matter most if a public agency acquires property or a business has to move.
Relocation: RCW 8.26.035. When a project displaces a person, the displacing agency must pay actual reasonable moving expenses, direct losses of tangible personal property, and reasonable expenses of searching for a replacement business. A displaced small business, nonprofit, or farm can also recover reasonable reestablishment expenses at the new site, capped at $200,000 or the federal amount under 42 U.S.C. 4622, whichever is greater. The statute also directs annual 2% inflation adjustments to the $200,000 figure, so confirm the current number. A business can instead elect a fixed payment in lieu of those items, but a person whose sole business at the displacement property is renting it to others does not qualify for that fixed payment.
Attorney fees: RCW 8.25.075. A court must award the property owner reasonable attorney and expert witness fees if a condemnation is finally adjudicated as unauthorized or the condemnor abandons it. In an inverse condemnation case, where an owner claims property was taken or damaged without compensation, fees are awarded if the judgment exceeds the agency's highest written settlement offer, made at least 30 days before trial, by 10% or more.
These are summaries, and the details matter. Whether and how they apply depends on the facts, the agency, and the funding behind the project.
What I'd Do Before November 2
- Search Appendix G.2 for your address or parcel number. Screenshot or save the result.
- Submit a comment. You can comment online, by phone, by mail, by email, or at meetings through November 2. Comments can be in any language. The project page has the details.
- Preserve your records. Keep letters from Sound Transit, emails, notes of phone calls, the names of the people you spoke with, and any appraisals. Document your business too: lease, build-out costs, equipment, and revenue history.
- Review your lease. If you're a tenant or landlord, a lease review is a good first step. Look for condemnation or eminent domain clauses. Who gets the award? Can either side terminate? What happens to rent and to your improvements? Many leases are silent on tenant relocation rights, which is a problem to find before a notice arrives.
- Talk to counsel before signing anything. That includes right-of-entry agreements, appraisal access, and settlement documents.
What This Means in Snohomish County
This project touches several markets in Snohomish County commercial real estate. The county presentation covers segments from West Alderwood and Ash Way through Mariner to Everett Station, so the effects reach well beyond one city. Owners of Everett commercial real estate along Evergreen Way or in the Southwest Everett Industrial Center, and owners of Lynnwood commercial real estate near Ash Way and Alderwood, should look first. Mill Creek commercial real estate and Mukilteo commercial real estate owners and tenants will see the traffic, access, and construction effects of a major transit project nearby, even if their parcels aren't listed. The County Council has scheduled a special meeting on the Everett Link Extension for October 28 at 5:30 PM at Mill Creek Foursquare Church, 1415 164th St SW, Lynnwood. That's a chance to hear the discussion in person.
Transit can lift values around stations, and construction can disrupt businesses for years. Both can be true, so how your parcel and your lease are positioned matters.
Key Takeaways
- The Draft EIS comment period closes November 2, 2026.
- Appendix G.2 lists potentially affected properties. Being listed doesn't mean Sound Transit has decided to buy yours.
- Five segments or sites, including Ash Way, SR 99/Airport Road, and SR 526/Evergreen Way, have no preferred alternative yet.
- RCW 8.26.035 provides relocation and reestablishment payments for displaced businesses, and landlords whose only business there is renting the property can't claim the fixed payment.
- RCW 8.25.075 can shift attorney and expert fees to the condemning agency in certain cases.
- Save records, read your lease's condemnation clause, and get advice before you sign anything.
Let's Talk
If you own, lease, or are weighing a purchase near the proposed route, I can look at your situation from both the legal side and the brokerage and leasing side. Learn more about my background, visit Weitz Commercial, or contact us to set up a conversation before the deadline.
This post is for general information only and is not legal advice. Reading it does not create an attorney-client relationship. Consult your own attorney about your situation.
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