Research & Facts
All claims on this page are sourced from public records, court filings, and verified reporting. Sources are linked for each finding.
The WinCo Project
The Site: 13550 Aurora Ave N
The former Sam's Club at 13550 Aurora Ave N closed in 2018. The 144,776 sq ft building sat vacant for over seven years. WinCo Foods filed plans in October 2024 to convert the building into Seattle's first WinCo location, with minor demolition and parking reconfiguration.
Environmental Review Approved — Then Overturned
The City of Seattle completed its State Environmental Policy Act (SEPA) review and issued a Determination of Non-Significance (DNS), clearing the project to proceed. On November 3, 2025, Lake Washington Working Families filed an appeal.
On April 9, 2026, Hearing Examiner Vancil overturned the DNS on a procedural technicality: the city used the former Sam's Club as the environmental baseline rather than the current vacant-lot conditions. No actual environmental harm was found. The city may re-issue its determination using current site conditions, and the project can proceed — but the delay could push the timeline back 6–8 months or cause WinCo to abandon the project.
Lake Washington Working Families (LWWF)
No Website, No Registration, No Members
Lake Washington Working Families (LWWF) has no public website, is not registered with Washington State, and has no identifiable leadership, address, or public footprint of its own. Its registered address in the hearing examiner case is the office of its attorney in Portland, Oregon.
In the Renton case, WinCo's attorneys noted in the record: "Other than LWWF's attorney, no person or valid legal entity has associated itself as a member of this coalition."
Represented by Portland Attorney Karl G. Anuta
LWWF's sole legal representative is Karl G. Anuta, a solo environmental and land-use attorney based in Portland, Oregon (Law Office of Karl G. Anuta, 735 SW First Ave, Portland, OR 97204). The group's contact information in the hearing examiner case is identical to Anuta's office address and phone number.
Anuta primarily handles cases involving environmental law, personal injuries, and insurance disputes. He is a solo practitioner. His involvement in Seattle land-use matters on behalf of an unregistered coalition with no public membership is unusual.
The Safeway Witness: Benjamin Brostrom
LWWF's sole identified witness at the Seattle hearing was Benjamin Brostrom. Public records and his own testimony confirm the following:
- He works as a night shift manager at a Roosevelt Safeway — a direct competitor to WinCo.
- He lives in Lynnwood, WA — not in the affected neighborhood.
- He joined LWWF the same month the appeal was filed (November 2025).
- He is not in LWWF's leadership and could not articulate the organization's specific values when questioned.
- He testified he learned of the appeal through his UFCW 3000 union.
- His testimony focused on traffic and safety concerns, while the appeal itself was about environmental runoff — a disconnect noted by observers.
The Renton Precedent
LWWF Tried — and Failed — to Block WinCo in Renton
Lake Washington Working Families, represented by the same attorney Karl G. Anuta, previously filed an appeal against a WinCo location in Renton, Washington in spring 2025. That appeal was rejected.
The Renton case establishes a clear pattern: LWWF uses the same attorney, the same tactics, and the same lack of genuine community membership to obstruct WinCo locations across the region. The group's failure in Renton demonstrates that its appeals are not grounded in legitimate community concern.
What the Ruling Actually Means
A Procedural Delay, Not an Environmental Finding
The Hearing Examiner's April 9, 2026 ruling did not find that WinCo's project causes environmental harm. It found only that the city used the wrong baseline for its environmental review — the 7-year-old Sam's Club conditions rather than the current vacant-lot conditions.
The city can re-issue its Determination of Non-Significance using current site conditions. Legal observers and community members familiar with the case estimate this would add 6–8 months to the timeline. The project is not permanently blocked — but the delay creates real risk that WinCo will choose to abandon the project rather than continue incurring costs.
About This Research
All facts on this page are drawn from public records, official court filings, and verified news reporting. This is a community advocacy campaign. We present facts as documented in the public record and encourage readers to review the primary sources linked above. We make no claims beyond what is supported by those sources.