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By state law, Renton has to complete a city-wide rezone by June 30th to include duplex, 4-plex, and 6-plex options in many single family zones. The closer the property is to transit and the city core, the greater the potential density.
As described in my previous post, Renton School District is actively pursuing property adjacent to Renton High School to relocate their baseball facility (at a possible cost of 100 million dollars). The targeted property owners describe the School District’s agents like bill collectors– phoning them at all hours, knocking on their doors, and mailing them urgent and frightening messages. The District hopes to complete their acquisitions soon, in April.
While some property owners have capitulated under the pressure and accepted a District offer, other property owners say they are being low-balled, and have vowed not to go down without a fight. These fighting-residents are seeking appraisals to counter what some describe as dismal or even predatory offers from the district.
Unfortunately, residents are finding that getting an appraisal is not straightforward, because their neighborhood is actively undergoing a major rezone along with other parts of the city, and the rezone could dramatically impact the value of their properties. Many of their single-family properties might be rezoned for six-units each by the end of June, and possibly more depending on their size. At least one of the impacted single family home sites is nearly a half acre in size, and could potentially host 12-18 units, or even more.
Conscientious appraisers have been balking under the circumstances, telling the homeowners they don’t wish to risk their reputations guessing at values when new zoning will be rolled out three months from now, especially if their appraisal is going to be challenged in court during an eminent domain trial. This issue is confounding enough that appraisers have representatives in Olympia sorting out details right now.
The three words property appraisers never like to see: “Subject to Change” In this recent report by the City of Renton on the Missing Middle Housing implementation, the City (not me) bolded these words and wrote them in red.
With these coveted “downtown core” properties are all poised to get their first major upzoning in decades, residents fear that the property owners that already settled with the district were potentially taken advantage of. District engineers and policy makers surely knew about the upcoming rezone, but did the residents who sold?
Depending on the answer to this question, and the conviction of property owners to hold their ground, one can foresee numerous lawsuits along with new zoning in the near future. All in all, it’s a lot of turmoil and expense for some replacement baseball fields.
Appraisers are seeking guidance
Renton High School’s current baseball fields could use improved maintenance, but nearby residents argue they don’t need to be moved onto their homes and businesses.
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