Community Corner

A Primer on Purple Line Land Issues

Attorney Harry Lerch discusses eminent domain, proximity damage, and more in the Washington Post.

If your property is likely to be affected by the construction of the proposed Purple Line, the Washington Post has a helpful primer on eminent domain, relocation expenses, and other related issues.

Last month, a freedom of information request by the Post turned up a preliminary list of nearly 500 properties for the 16-mile light rail line. Over 100 of those fall in the Riverdale/Riverdale Park area.

Land use attorney Harry Lerch writes that any owners directly affected by eminent domain would be entitled to "receive full, fair and just compensation" under the law. Nearby property holders who are only affected by the noise of the train, however, aren't likely to be reimbursed.

Find out what's happening in Riverdale Park-University Parkwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

"The state does not consider the sound of trolleys (or light rail vehicles) running through the night as damage," Lerch writes.

Likewise, Lerch warns that it's very difficult to mount a legal challenge against "the issue of public purpose or necessity for the taking, the precise boundaries of the targeted land, or the amount of the land being taken."

Find out what's happening in Riverdale Park-University Parkwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

"A great deal of time, money and effort can be wasted trying to disprove the public purpose or necessity of a given project," Lerch adds.

For more, read the full article.


Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here

More from Riverdale Park-University Park