The Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority is using eminent domain to secure the construction area for the Potomac Yard Metro station project.
The transit agency filed the civil action in federal court in Alexandria to take 6,200 square feet from Alexandria and the Potomac Green Homeowners Association. When the station is completed, WMATA said it will return the land in similar condition as it was when it was taken “including restoring landscaping and restoring vegetation,” according to court documents filed April 8. WMATA estimated fair compensation is $50,000, court records show.
The homeowners association and WMATA were negotiating the terms of the land seizure when the community learned that WMATA had decided to use its eminent domain authority, said Ron Lafond, president of the association. While the news initially caused “hard feelings” among association members, he said, WMATA has since returned to the negotiating table.
“Everyone is working in good faith,” Lafond said. “We pretty happy about that. Everyone is saying the right things.”
The exact amount WMATA would give is still unclear, but that wasn’t the most pressing issue for residents, he said.
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