Chris Van Dyk and his anti-ballpark group, Citizens for
More Important Things (CMIT), are "launching their fifth
challenge" to the Mariners new stadium, according to Heath
Foster in the SEATTLE POST-INTELLIGENCER. The group is now
"taking on" a Seattle permit allowing the ballpark to be
built on a portion of Occidental Avenue South near the
Kingdome. Despite the latest initiative, King County's bond
adviser Jim Hattori said it would not affect the sale of the
ballpark bonds. King County Exec Ron Sims has "recommended"
going forward with the $336M bond sale even though the
stadium district and county are "still waiting for the state
Supreme Court to rule whether the bond issue is subject"
from previous legal challenges from CMIT. Sims wants to
sell bonds now "so the project can lock into today's low
interest rates." All proceeds from bond sales will go into
escrow until the court ruling. If the court upholds the
Superior Court ruling, "the money could be spent immediately
on construction" (SEATTLE POST-INTELLIGENCER, 3/11).
