http://myfreedomfoundation.com/blog/liberty-live/detail/city-of-seattle-abuses-eminent-domain-so-a-parking-lot-can-become-a-parking-lot
Another Kelo, basically.
A rather wealthy benefactress owns a lot currently used as a parking lot. She intends to will it to a charity of her choice upon her death, which probably isn't too many years in the future. It's a prime piece of real estate, and when Seattle is done with its mega-infrastructure projects, the land will be worth considerably more than its worth right now.
The charity to which she wants to will it, will probably sell the land at that time. For big money. Because benefactress wants the charity to get lots and lots of money.
So, Seattle swoops in and ED's the package... to get... parking. Yep. Parking.
ED needs to stop. It's a blight when used like this. The intended legitimate uses were supposed to be for schools, hospitals, roads and large civil engineering infrastructure projects like large-scale bridges. Not for governments to trample some property owners just to cater to other well connected property owners who happen to have stores, but haven't invested in their own parking to actually bring in customers. Propping up retail establishments that do not have their own parking infrastructure is NOT the intent of ED.
