This petition is designed to stop Puget Sound Energy from putting utilities onto land we own and have granted an easement for Rails to Trails.

ATTN: Puget Sound Energy and Port of Seattle Headquarters,

It has come to our attention that you may intend to expand your electrical transmission system over the former BNSF railroad right-of-way; reference document # 20101221000998 signed by Tay Yoshitani, CEO Port of Seattle, and Susan Mclain, SR VP Operations, PSE.

Did you plan on notifying and seeking consent of the landowners who own that land? I, as well as my neighbors, are the owners of that land within the former railroad right-of-way, and you have no authority to use that land in any manner whatsoever.

We, the landowners, own the underlying fee and aerial rights in that former railroad right-of-way and we do not consent to the proposed expansion of your electrical transmission system on our land. We litigated the issue of who owned the fee interest in the former railroad right-of-way in the context of a taking lawsuit and Judge Charles F. Lettow of the Court of Federal Claims in Washington D.C. issued his ruling verifying that we, the landowners, with land adjacent and abutting the former railroad right-of-way, are the fee owners of that land subject to a current surface easement for a hiking and biking trail. The Opinion and Order is dated 12-18-12.

Please let this serve as notice that we do not consent to any aerial or subsurface use of our land within the former railroad right-of-way. We object to your intended expansion for many reasons, not limited to the following: first, we have not even been consulted; second, your intended expansion will greatly decrease our land values; and third, overhead electrical lines will pose a health risk to our families. The only legally permissible use of our land within the former railroad right-of-way is for a surface recreational trail, period.

Sincerely

Petition Signatures Listed