Developers Get No Compensation

Developers forced to supply land to widen roads needed to accommodate their projects are not entitled to compensation from the government, the state Supreme Court ruled Thursday.

The court reversed a state Appeals Court finding that developers Herschel and Elizabeth Sparks of Douglas County were the victims of an “unconstitutional takings of property.”

The court found that the public good would be served with wider roads, and the developer creating the need for the roads should help pay for them.

The “takings” issue has become a major political fight in Washington. Next Tuesday, state voters will decide on a measure, Referendum 48, which would require governments to compensate landowners for any land value lost to regulation.