TagProperty Values(6)

This document outlines several key challenges related to aircraft noise near Seattle-Tacoma (Sea-Tac) Airport. It notes that existing noise measurement systems lack the precision needed by planners, residents, and courts, while federal FAA funds cannot be used to purchase noise-affected lands unless they serve specific airport purposes. Additional concerns include restricted HUD/VA mortgage financing in high-noise areas, the potential negative impact on local tax bases if the Port of Seattle acquires large amounts of noise-sensitive land, and widespread property owner anxiety over declining home values and marketability.

Washington House Bill 2825, introduced in January 1996, directed the state's Legislative Transportation Committee to study how airport-related impacts — including noise, air quality, water quality, and traffic — affect residential property values near Seattle-Tacoma International Airport. The study area was to include all homes within the 55 LDN noise contour and the nearby cities of Burien, Des Moines, Normandy Park, Sea-Tac, and Tukwila, using accepted methods such as the 'neighborhood pair' model. Up to $75,000 was appropriated for the study, with a final report due to legislative committees by December 15, 1996.

Engrossed House Bill No. 97, introduced in Washington State's 43rd Legislature in January 1973, establishes the right of property owners to seek compensation in inverse condemnation actions when their property value is diminished due to highway, aviation, or airport operations. Qualifying impacts include noise, vibrations, air pollution, water pollution, loss of view or scenery, and risk to life from nearby traffic. The bill also limits recovery to properties within one-quarter mile of a highway right-of-way or within one hundred yards of an airport facility, and requires actions to be filed within three years of the alleged taking or damaging.