TagProperty Values(19)
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2013-02-19Order Granting the Port Of Seattle’s Motion for Summary Judgment Based on Express Avigation Easements
This is a proposed court order from the King County Superior Court in the case of Kebede Admasu et al. v. the Port of Seattle, in which the Port sought summary judgment against plaintiffs based on express avigation easements tied to Sea-Tac Airport. The order lists the numerous declarations and filings considered by the court, including submissions from both the Port and affected property owners. The case centers on whether recorded avigation easements legally shield the Port from noise and property-related claims brought by neighboring residents. -
2011-11-10Final Notice: Third Runway Lawsuit — Pfau Cochran Vertetis Amala PLLC Mailer to Normandy Park Residents (November 10, 2011)
A 2011 legal notice from law firm Pfau Cochran Vertetis Amala PLLC informing Normandy Park and surrounding Seattle-area residents about a class action lawsuit against the Port of Seattle over damages caused by the airport's Third Runway operations. The notice warns that while the class action covers real property value losses, Washington law requires separate lawsuits to be filed within three years for other damages such as personal injury or annoyance. Residents were urged to contact the firm no later than November 10, 2011, to protect their legal rights. -
1997-02-01Sea-Tac International Airport Impact Mitigation Study: Initial Assessment and Recommendations — Section 9, Potential Socio-Economic Impacts and Mitigation
A 1997 study commissioned by cities and institutions near Seattle-Tacoma International Airport found that airport operations depress nearby property values compared to similar homes elsewhere in King County, and that properties directly under flight paths suffer additional losses from noise, visual pollution, and reduced quality of life. Researchers compared single-family homes around Sea-Tac with comparable homes in Northwest King County (Shoreline area), using strict criteria to ensure fair comparisons. The study notes that while overall regional growth means nearby home values may still rise over time, they appreciate more slowly than they would without the airport's presence. -
1996-11-25Letter from A. Brown to City of Burien: Comments on South King County Impact Assistance and Mitigation Studies Team Draft
A Normandy Park resident and aerospace engineering manager submitted detailed comments in November 1996 criticizing a draft impact study related to Sea-Tac Airport's proposed Third Runway, arguing that the analysis underestimated real estate value losses, air pollution risks, and traffic disruptions caused by the project. The letter contends that home values in Normandy Park stagnated or declined after the Third Runway was publicly announced, and that any valid property value assessment must use baseline figures from before negative publicity began. The author also challenges the study's air quality modeling assumptions and traffic analysis, warning that the Port of Seattle would selectively cite favorable findings while ignoring methodological flaws. -
1996-10-21City of Burien Memorandum: South King County Airport Impact Assistance and Mitigation Studies
A 1996 City of Burien memorandum outlines preliminary findings from a regional study on the socio-economic and environmental impacts of Sea-Tac Airport's proposed expansion and third runway. Estimated mitigation costs for five South King County cities totaled $3.05 billion over twenty years, with Burien alone facing roughly $800 million in costs and over $190 million in single-family property value losses by 2020. The study argues that because the airport's benefits are spread across the broader Puget Sound region while its costs—including noise, traffic, and a reduced tax base—fall disproportionately on a handful of nearby communities, targeted mitigation funding is both an equity issue and a necessity. -
1996-01-22HB2825 – 1996 proposed study of impacts of airport noise on property values
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. -
1975-02-02Noise Remedies (PARKS/850/14/10)
A comprehensive document from Ed Parks outlining noise remedy programs for Sea-Tac Airport post Sea-Tac Communities Plan, divided into source reduction programs and community-based remedies. The document discusses strategies to minimize aircraft noise at the source, including REFAN and Glide Slope, and addresses secondary annoyance factors affecting noise-impacted residential neighborhoods through stabilization and strengthening programs. -
1973-01-11Engrossed House Bill No. 97
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. -
1960-01-14
Cheskov v. Port of Seattle
A Landmark Case on Airport Noise, Property Rights, and Limitations. When homeowners living near Seattle-Tacoma International Airport sought compensation for plummeting property values caused by constant aircraft noise, they set the stage for a pivotal 1960 Washington Supreme Court ruling. In *Cheskov v. Port of Seattle*, the court tackled two critical legal questions: Could the Port of Seattle be held liable for property damage caused by airport noise and vibration? And could airlines be held responsible for occasional low-altitude flights over private land? While the court acknowledged that plaintiffs suffered real, substantial property damage, their claims against the Port were ultimately barred by the statute of limitations. Meanwhile, the airlines faced findings of technical trespass — but only nominal damages were awarded. Each of the various opportunities for homeowners has long since been barred by Federal and State statutes.