SEATTLE — Condo owners along the Seattle waterfront are worried about letters from the city, saying it could use eminent domain to take their properties for work on the city's waterfront project.
"They're panicked!" Maureen Miller, president of Waterfront Landings' Owners Association, said.
The letter states that the Seattle City Council is expected to authorize the Seattle Department of Transportation to acquire property, "through negotiation or the use of eminent domain (condemnation), if necessary." About 400 people, some retirees, live at Waterfront Landings.
"If we have the threat of condemnation hanging over our heads as unit owners -- am I going to be able to sell my unit to someone? Is the bank going to finance my unit?" Miller asked.
Angela Brady, an SDOT manager for the waterfront project, said the language, while scary, is required by law in cases like these. She said during construction, the city needs the ability to use or access 142 properties, most of them temporarily. It plans to acquire one building that currently houses a law office, the surrounding parking lot and parts of five parcels of land.
"Do you intend to take any of these condos?" KIRO 7 asked.
"No, absolutely not," Brady said.
She said the city will likely need to use small strips of property outside of the condos and that the city can write letters for condo owners if banks or potential buyers have questions.
"We are 100 percent willing to write letters basically framing up exactly the need the city has for that specific property," she said.
But homeowners want to be taken off the "condemnation" list, despite the law Brady cited.
KIRO 7 asked if the city whether it would put it in writing to all homeowners at the site that their condos are safe from eminent domain.
"We could do that," Brady said. "That is something we're currently looking into."
Brady said the waterfront committee will vote on May 9 on whether to authorize SDOT to move forward. The full council will need to approve it on May 27.
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