Vashon Island news-record. [volume] (Vashon, Wash.) 1919-1954, 1925-08-28
FACTS AND FIGURES
ON WATER DISTRICT
(By Alex Stewart)

AS the writer has been asked tt
give more definite information or
the cost of water to property
owners in the proposed district,
may report that l have interview
ed Mr.. Ernisse, formerly Of Wash
on, now engineer Of the Tacoma
Water Works, and E. f. Hughes
engineer Of the Eminent Domain
Commission of Seattle, regarding
the spreading Of special assess
ments, on the suggested plar
whereby the Improvement costs
would be borne only by the house
holders, or water users, but il
seems that under the law this can
not be done.
In the local improvement dis
trict which may be the same as
or within the general district, the
property would be assessed accord.
ing to benefits, but this takes in a
wide range of factors such as the
distance from the supply, distance
from the main, fire protection
congestion of buildings, topogra
ply of the land, and availability
of land for domestic purposes
Assessments would likely be levied
in zones from the center, and or
this basis the properties center.
ing at the Vashon crossroads
would be assessed the most, and
those farthest away, the least. Mr.
Ernisse says that a 4 inch wood
pipe costs 32c a foot and takes
about as much to lay it. Mr.
Ernisse does not advise using
smaller pipe except for laterals
on account of loss Of head by
friction. He favors tank nea,
the center.
Mr.. Hughes who has laid out q
number Of assessment districts fo,
water outside of Seattle, says that
on the front foot basis the cost
averages about SOC per foot wher'
the district is Of considerable size
with small tracts. However il
the Vashon District, taking int.
account the varieties of property
and degrees Of benefit, the assess
ment per foot to property near tn,
center might be 75c or more, whil'
out at the end Of the assessment
district, as low as 25c for property
on the main. Thus a 20 acre tract
with $50 feet fronting on the main
would be assessed around $165.O
with something added for indirec.
benefit for land back from tn,
main, while a go foot lot near tn,
center of town would likely be as
sessed $45.00. These are based on
the preliminary estimate that Sc,
10000 will pay for the mains o.
the local improvement district
Square foot area is always used i,
assessing, though frontage on mail
is considered as well.
Roughly speaking, on an are;
basis, $1,000 to $500 per acre
would pay the cost Of mains fol
the improvement district, but a
the outlying tracts would benefit
little, their assessment would b,
reduced to fraction of the
amount and central tracts raiset
accordingly.
Mr.. Hughes believes it entirel,
feasible to finance the district b!
taxing an average lot $4,000 under
bonds for the waterplant, and per
haps $4,000 by special assessment
with about the same for a S acr'
tract, depending on its location ono
benefits to the property.
He says also, that whatever thu
expense, within reason, however
of procuring fresh water for thu
community, it will be worth to thu
district several times its cost i'll
increased value and STABILITY OF
property, new residents and tax
payers, fire protection and pre-
vention of disease.
The Vashon water district will
be number 10. That means that
1S progressive communities in
King County have taken advan-
tage Of this law to obtain mod
ern water system, most Of them in
the past few years. They figured
they could not afford to be with
out it.
ODn FETT.OWS To SEATTLE