Tri-City Area and Real Estate Blog

Proposed reform to combat private property being seized under the Eminent Domain laws and then being turned over to private developments for economic development are scheduled for a public hearing this month. Attorney General Rob McKenna revealed two proposals that he indicated will protect the individual property rights from governmental abuse of power.

“The authority to confiscate homes and businesses is one of the most intimidating powers granted to government by the people,” McKenna said. “There must be limits to that power. One of those limits should be on the government’s authority to take your land, only to hand it over to private developers.”

In Washington State, our constitution does not allow property to be taken from land owners for private use, but the state’s Community Renewal Law does allow eminent domain to be used to eliminate blight. This, of course, allows the state to announce any land “blighted” as they please.

A recent study by the Washington Policy Center said governments in Washington state have attempted to use the Renewal Law to seize the property from more than 71,000 land owners since 2000, which equals just under 8,000 owners a year for the past 9 years.

HB 2423 and SB 6199 will attempt to reform the renewal law to restrict the government from declaring entire neighborhoods “blighted” in order to sell them to private developers. Additionally, HB2425 and SB 6200 will proscribe using eminent domain for economic development.

Parties on both sides of the aisle are in support of this legislation.

The WSU Viticulture and Enology Program director believes the new Wine Science Center is critical to the future of Washington State’s wine industry, and thus has been seeking out a location for the new building.

The commissioners of the Port of Benton have actively begun a search for the best location for the center and are looking a lease deal for property located off GW Way and 1st Street in Richland, which is a stone’s throw from the WSU Tri-Cities campus off George Washington Way.

The new WSU Tri-Cities facility would be able to accommodate the growing wine industry testing that is required of each new batch. Currently a research facility in Prosser is able to only perform about 1/5 of that which is needed because of the rapid growth of the industry.

The hope is to develop a wine library and wine analysis laboratory that has regional and international impact, along with expanding a teaching vineyard at the Richland campus.

Tri-City and Washington State manufacturers have the opportunity today to connect with potential suppliers and expand their businesses, and Patric Sazama is one of the experts who will speak at the seminar held at Pasco’s TRAC.

Local high school students who have an interest in a manufacturing career will have the opportunity to benefit from a special session, and also talk with experts at Tri-Tech Skills Center and Columbia Basin College.

Sazama helped Bogert International of Pasco market one of its products to the Army and soliders are using the device currently. The 7th Annual Smartmap Expo expects to have about 500 participants and is being put on by Tri-City Development Council.