| Q |
We looked at a waterfront property and really
liked it but the dock was in very poor condition,
the seller says the property is "as is", how much
trouble is it to rebuild a dock? |
| A |
First, when you write the
offer, include a Contingency giving you a period of
time to discover whatever problems you may not be
aware of. In a fast moving market, you may
question this, but be cautious about docks in
particular, as there may be restrictions to
rebuilding them or building a dock at all.
Many docks on Mercer Island are "grandfathered in"
with proximities to neighbors that are no longer
allowed, this is one area where you want to be fully
informed prior to closing; as owning a waterfront
property and paying the higher taxes will be
uncomfortable if you have no dock and further are
not allowed to build one. |
| Q |
What does community waterfront mean? |
| A |
Community waterfront is a
term used to describe a group of neighbors who
jointly own or own easements to a parcel of
waterfront. Long ago, when waterfront lots were
being divided, often the parcels above the
waterfront lots and the street were given an
undivided interest in a waterfront lot nearby.
These community waterfronts vary widely across the
island. Be sure to investigate the title
including all documents and meeting minutes of the
community. It is important to understand what type
of access the property truly has. A few types of
community waterfront include: waterfront
access without a dock, waterfront access with a dock
but no moorage, waterfront access with moorage. The
goal is to enjoy your access to the waterfront, so
be sure to find out everything you can prior to
making your purchase. |
| Q |
We have a very large yacht and want to buy a
waterfront home where we can moor our boat, are
there Mercer Island waterfronts available that could
accommodate us? |
| A |
Yes, there are
waterfronts on Mercer Island that have moorage for
large yachts. It depends of course where you want
to live and how large your yacht is. The Island has
some areas that are relatively level but the depth
of water could be a problem for a deep keel. Mercer
Island has about as many types of waterfront
properties as there are personalities and each is
very different from another. I would be happy to
discus your needs in a home and in moorage and show
you the differences, so you can identify what you
really want to buy. |
| Q |
How deep is the waterfront in front of my house? |
| A |
Take a tape measure to
the end of dock and measure the depth of the water. |
| Q |
My neighbor has a boat house and we would like
to build both a boathouse and a boat launch on our
property. Do you have suggestions of contractors? |
| A |
I do have suggestions for
contractors that do that type of work. Please
refer to the area of this website about
Docks. Mercer
Island, King County and the Corp of Engineers all
have a say in what can and cannot be built on Lake
Washington waterfront shores. Most boat houses
that are still standing on the Island are
"grandfathered in". Today's codes allow for a
covered area but it is limited to 600 sq feet and is
not allowed to have sides. Please meet with
the City of Mercer Island Planning Dept at City Hall
for specifics about your dock and the possibility of
a boat launch. For dock builder recommendations, see
the Links section of this
website. |
| Q |
We purchased a community waterfront and put our
boat in the available slip; now the neighbors are
saying they get that slip instead of us, what can we
do? |
| A |
Refer to your title and
the rules of your community waterfront association.
It is common practice for some of the community
waterfronts to have different rules for who gets
what slip. Some allow everyone to have a slip
according to their boat needs etc. This is a
matter of title and I would suggest you try to join
the committee or association meetings to discuss
moorage. |
| Q |
We are looking at a waterfront with a house that
we would like to tear down and then build another
closer to the water. Is this possible? |
| A |
Yes, you can tear down an
existing structure. There may be reasons why
you would not want to tear down an existing
structure, if it is in a place where current
setbacks would not allow it to be built again. In
addition, you would want to be clear on your
building pad if that home were no longer there.
Also, if the lot narrows closer to the water, your
building pad may be affected. I understand why you
would want to build closer to the water as you will
get better views and quicker easier access to your
waterfront. Please be sure to meet with the
City of Mercer Island Planning Dept. prior to a tear
down or hiring an architect to design your new
home.. it is most important to have a full
understanding of all of your options. |
| Q |
We just moved here and purchased a waterfront
and noticed some of the docks a short distance from
us are further out into the water than ours.
Can we extend our dock? |
| A |
Docks are subject to City
and Governmental guidelines and restrictions.
On Mercer Island the dock is allowed to be 100 ft
out from the OHWM (ordinary high water mark) with
the exception only if the water depth is not 10 ft,
please see the Dock
section of this website. |
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