rest in peace Edith.

Parent Cafe
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<p>[Edith</a> Macefield, 1921-2008: Ballard woman held her ground as change closed in around her](<a href=“http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/367335_obitmacefield18.html]Edith”>http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/367335_obitmacefield18.html)</p>

<p>When we moved to this neighborhood 25 years ago, the homes looked like the one in the center.</p>

<p>Now blocks of affordable single family homes have been removed to make way for small 1 bedroom condos with parking you couldn’t get a mini into.
[The</a> town home explosion My Ballard](<a href=“http://www.myballard.com/2008/04/30/the-town-home-explosion/]The”>The town home explosion – My Ballard)</p>

<p>( zoning requires garages be removed from street, so the driveways face each other in a space too narrow to be used)</p>

<p>It really is a shame. I feel that middle class families are the backbone of the city, but we have 1/2 the students enrolled in the Seattle district that we did 30 years ago. A large % of residents stay in the city for 5 years or less.
I feel the combination of lack of appropriate/affordable housing for families and fewer students in public schools is interconnected.</p>

2

<p>Wow, what a story. Around here, they would have declared her property “blighted” and taken it by eminent domain for new development.</p>

3

<p>RIP, the old lady who lived in a shoe.</p>

<p>Isn’t “eminent domain” reserved for projects benefitting the public in general (road widening, for example)? I’m not sure how developers building condos can use that.</p>

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<p>The Supreme Court just ruled that a city can take property by eminent domain to further development, ie, developers putting up townhomes. Just ask the people int hat little New Jersey coastal town where they lost their homes, they were bulldozed,a nd the developer hasn’t done a thing yet!</p>

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<p>this just passed in CA
[Prop</a>. 99 passes; Prop. 98 defeated - Los Angeles Times](<a href=“http://www.latimes.com/news/printedition/front/la-me-props4-2008jun04,0,6925163.story]Prop”>Voters reject proposition to phase out rent control)</p>

<p>New Jersey doesn’t but 42 states do have laws that protect property owners
[Eminent</a> domain up for debate- NJ.com](<a href=“http://www.nj.com/news/bridgeton/local/index.ssf?/base/news-14/121143302786060.xml&coll=10]Eminent”>http://www.nj.com/news/bridgeton/local/index.ssf?/base/news-14/121143302786060.xml&coll=10)</p>