There was a contentious discussion about the Beaconsfield Project on the Sound at the Aug. 9 Normandy Park City Council meeting.

Council members tried to tell worried landowner Lisa Hadley-Colmenares she has nothing to worry about, while admitting they did know much about the project.

"The council has no ulterior motive," Mayor Pro-Tem Clark Brant said. "There are things we may not be up to speed on.

"I don't think anyone on this council has any idea where this is coming from," Brant said, referring to phone calls and emails from citizens concerned about Conservancy Land Conservancy's (CLC) acquisition of shoreline land near Marine View Park.

Lisa Hadley-Colmenares and her husband Angel Colmenares own a home above the shoreline property being purchased by CLC. They have easements with the shoreline property owners below them for a bulkhead. CLC asked them a couple of years ago if they would be willing to sell their property and they said no.

Earlier this year, Hadley-Colmenares filed a lawsuit against the city of Normandy Park and CLC to stop any possible condemnation of their house after finding recent documents online showing CLC was still interested in acquiring their house.

"When you start reading documents online where your home is being torn apart it is terrible," Hadley-Colmenares told council members at the meeting.

Mayor Pro-Tem Brant accused Colmenares' of wasting the city's resources fighting a lawsuit, saying they should have asked questions of the council and city staff first.

Hadley-Colmenares said they tried that at first, but at a certain point litigation had to take place. "We (the city) are not interested in condemnation procedures," Normandy Park Mayor Shawn McEvoy said at Tuesday's meeting.

CLC has been working with the city since 2004 to acquire shoreline property next to Marine View Park for the purpose of restoring and maintaining the Beaconsfield feeder bluff.

On the city's website it says, "Acquiring the upland property, shoreline holdings and removing the bulkhead from the shoreline will result in linking together more than 2,200 feet of undeveloped shoreline in Normandy Park. This portion of the marine near shore provides valuable foraging habitat and refuge for seven species of salmon from 10 watersheds that feed into Puget Sound."

City Manager Doug Shultze said city staff will present the council with every option. But, "any option that would involve impact to the upslope properties are contingent on upslope property owner participation," Shultze said.

A bulkhead feasibility study conducted by Coastal Geologic Services said 535 feet of bulkhead could be removed without affecting Hadley- Colmenares' property.

The survey also said the house is already at risk from slope failure.

"To fully restore the feeder bluff's function it is recommended to acquire the Hadley house and remove the retained portions of the bulkheads," the survey said.

Shultze said he is not satisfied with the conclusion of Coastal Geologic and another geologic survey is already being conducted by the Washington Department of Natural Resources to look at the feasibility of removing some of the bulkhead without affecting the homes above it.