As expected, SeaTac lawmakers rescinded Tuesday night, a controversial condemnation proceeding against a parking lot next to the airport light-rail station.

The action passed on a voice vote. Former Mayor Ralph Shape, who blocked the action two weeks ago, did not speak during debate on the motion by Deputy Mayor Gene Fisher.

The original condemnation received national and regional attention from property rights advocates. Property rights groups attended the Jan. 26 council meeting to photograph and record their victory.

Scott Roberts from the Evergreen Freedom Foundation urged the council to rescind the eminent domain action.
Newly-elected SeaTac Councilman Rick Forschler spoke against his city's eminent domain action at a recent forum in Houston. Mayor Terry Anderson complained that newspaper headlines from the Houston forum painted SeaTac in an unfavorable light. Forschler said he had attended property rights meetings before he was elected to the council and would continue to do so.

Doris and James Cassan, who own the Dollar parking lot that was condemned, also had mounted a public relations campaign against the action, including full-page ads in the Highline Times urging people to contact Shape and the city attorney to voice their opposition.
Fisher said the council originally voted to condemn the Cassans' property in order to revive stalled negotiations between the Cassans and the city planning department for a planned mixed-use development on the property.

"The condemnation was never filed (in court) for a reason," Fisher said.
Now that negotiations have resumed and an ad hoc committee, partially made up of business people has been formed to advise the council on a revised zoning code, the condemnation action should be rescinded, Fisher said.

He added that the condemnation action can be reinstated if negotiations fail.
The action is also contingent on the Cassans withdrawing a King County Superior Court lawsuit against the city.
In remarks to the council, Doris Cassan said she and her husband are "committed to a world-class project that will make the city proud."
She added, "We trust we can go forward with a realisitc, flexible plan that takes into account market realities."

Cassan said eminent domain action is not the way for the city to proceed with its development plans.
"Property rights are human rights," Cassan declared.
In other action, lawmakers heard a presentation from StreetSense principal Jon Eisen on a SeaTac City Center retail, dining and entertainment marker study.

The city hired Eisen's consulting firm to do the study on an 82-acre site next to the new airport light-rail station. City officials seek to create a downtown/entertainment district in the area.
Lawmakers wanted to kickstart the project by building a public parking garage on the Cassans' property for patrons of the planned downtown area.

The Cassans and other SeaTac business owners have contended that the city staffers rely too heavily on consultants that do not take into account market realities when proposing ambitious redevelopment plans.
Jack Dodge, SeaTac principal planner, emphasized that the StreetSense study analyzed what is economically viable, but not what may be economically feasible.

Eisen recommended projects that he said could appeal to both residents and hotel guests.
He suggested a grocery-store anchored development, an urban-style outlet with dining and entertainment options, and a hybrid convenience stores and entertainment center development.
Eisen cautioned that the city would need to provide public parking for the developments.