Earth Liberation Front vs Luxury Developers

Three luxury show homes were destroyed in fires in Quinn’s Crossing, a Seattle suburb, this week. According to local officials, “domestic terrorism” was the cause and evidence at the scene suggests the involvement of a group called The Earth Liberation Front.

According to The Seattle Times:

Early reports indicated that explosive devices were found inside the homes. And nearby, a spray-painted sign bearing the initials of the Earth Liberation Front, challenged builders’ assertion that the homes featured environmentally responsible construction methods.

A KING-5 video showed the sign, which read: “Built Green? Nope black! McMansions in RCDs r not green. ELF” The initials “RCD” refers to “rural cluster development.”

Fortunately, no one was injured in the fires, but damage is estimated at $7 million. Each home that burned was valued at around $2 million. This is not the first time ELF has come into conflict with a luxury property developer.

The Seattle Street of Dreams project came in for some opposition during the planning stages, being located close to Bear Creek, which consists of sensitive wetlands. Opposition was based on the likely environmental impact of the septic systems planned and local residents appealed against the county’s decision to allow the development to proceed.

I must admit to being a little confused by a number of things in this whole situation. ELF would appear to be a non-hierarchical organization with undefined goals. They claim to be “an underground movement with no leadership, membership or official spokesperson.” But when visiting their website, I was surprised to discover advertisements for Viagra, with an affiliate code embedded in the link, so some one, some where is making money from the site.

I must admit also, to being a little confused as to the “greenness” of the Street of Dreams development, and it would seem that ELF’s attack comes from the fact that they don’t believe the development is “green,” rather than the fact that it is a luxury development.

The Seattle Street of Dreams website is here

The Earth Liberation Front website is here

If a representative of either organization would care to clarify their position, I would be more than happy to post it here on the Luxury Property Blog

I would suspect that others are just as confused as I.