An auto repair shop in Washington state has learned that saving the manuals is less important than saving the salmon. Ballinger Automotive, a decades-old business in Lake Forest Park, was recently forced by the state to close its doors to make way for the migrating fish.
Lake Forest Park is a small town just outside of Seattle on the northern tip of Lake Washington. With a population of just under 14,000 (approx. 2020), it has a notable claim to fame in the form of former resident Rainn Wilson. The actor and comedian grew up in the area before becoming famous as Dwight Schrute (The office). Unfortunately, Ballinger Automotive left town more out of necessity than Hollywood success.
Owner Ron Ricker started his auto business over 60 years ago. Lyon Creek runs through the property and in the 1960s Ricker built a culvert to keep the water flowing while he prepared to replace the gas pumps above as well.
But according to The Seattle TimesThe Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) considered the channel built by Ricker to be too narrow, which created a “fire hose” effect when the creek flooded, thus hindering salmon migration. Daily Mail also reports that in 1996, heavy rains caused the creek to swell and form a sinkhole that eventually caused the culvert to collapse.
Ricker had to close the gas station, leaving only the repair shop to continue. He said the cause was the city’s sewer further downstream, which was too small and caused the sidewalk on his property to collapse.
But it is one of many culverts and waterways that appear to be blocking salmon migration in Western Washington. The Seattle Times‘ investigation, the state was required to replace hundreds of broken or failing culverts as part of a salmon recovery program – the largest program the state has ever had. Ricker’s long-collapsed culvert is one of them. WSDOT claimed the right of expropriation on it as part of its multibillion-dollar wildlife project.
Although the sewer line is on a small portion of the property, it is the section where his auto repair shop is located. Ideally, governments don’t seize private property for public use, but the WSDOT explained in a court document that Ballinger Automotive’s seizure was necessary. In June, a judge ruled that the state’s claim was valid.
Ricker said he has spent years trying to bring together state, city and tribal officials to work together on a solution to fix that section of the creek so his business could continue. He added there are many other sections along the creek that prevent salmon from accessing it.
At 87, the WSDOT’s action meant retirement for Ricker and unemployment for his employees. Ballinger Automotive ran a stable business and received consistently positive reviews for its quality of work and customer service. Approximately 800 regular customers had maintenance and repairs scheduled for at least three weeks.
In a peace offering, the WSDOT offered Ricker other auto repair shop locations he could lease, but none were truly comparable or suitable for Ballinger Automotive’s size and needs. Problems included too few parking spaces, too many spaces or high rents that would have required the shop to triple its current business. The WSDOT also apparently offered Ricker $124,000 for a small piece of his land, which Ricker turned down, saying it wasn’t enough compensation for a business that was paid off. But even in retirement, Ricker is fighting back. He will appear in court in January.
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