Updated Jul 7, 2008 - 7:05 pm
Section of Critical Areas Ordinance overturned
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710 KIRO Reporter
Listen to this reportA state appeals court has overturned part of King County's environmental laws protecting rural land.
The critical areas ordinance prevented some rural property owners from developing up to 65-percent of their property.
Attorney Brian Hodges sued the county in 2005 on behalf of a citizens group and calls this a "banner day" for property owners.
| listen > | Attorney Brian Hodges Hodges talks to 710 KIRO's Ron and Don about what this means for the average home owner. |
Hodges says the county overstepped in protecting environmentally sensitive land. "The county basically drew a line around rural King county and said 'we're just going to blanket take-away 50 to 65 percent of your property.'"
King County Executive Ron Sims says he's disappointed by the ruling and the county will consider asking the State Supreme Court to review the appeals court decision.
But Hodges says rural county property owners will soon have their land back. "What it's saying is, absent any real critical areas already regulated by the existing regulations, that this percentage of private property is open to use again."
Hodges says property owners might have claims against the county. "We haven't really thought about what recourse, but there should be some recourse for people who have been denied the use of their property unlawfully for the past four years."
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