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February 4, 2007
City Won’t “Blight” Diverse Southeast Seattle Neighborhood
Institute for Justice
Today, the Institute for Justice Washington Chapter (IJ-WA) hailed the announcement by the City of Seattle to halt its efforts to designate the Rainier Valley neighborhood “blighted” and implement a Community Renewal Plan that would have given the City the ability to condemn private homes and businesses to transfer to private parties. In a letter dated January 18, 2007 to Leslie Miller, the President of the Southeast District Council, Deputy Mayor Tim Ceis stated that the “City of Seattle will no longer consider designation of a Community Renewal Area in the Rainier Valley.”
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The City faced overwhelming opposition from Southeast residents and business owners to the redevelopment scheme. The reversal follows months of uncertainty for Southeast Seattle property owners, whose homes and businesses could have been designated “blighted” under Washington’s Community Renewal Law. Under that statute, Washington municipalities can designate entire neighborhoods “blighted,” condemn the properties within that neighborhood, bulldoze them, and transfer them to private entities.
Posted by amy at February 4, 2007 12:27 PM