SILVERDALE — Central Kitsap School District gave notice in Kitsap County Superior Court May 9 that it has commenced an eminent domain action regarding a plot of land at the CK school campus.

The action intends to condemn a property, 3898 NW Windy Ridge Road, in Silverdale. The property consists of two parcels, a 2.75-acre property with a home and a 20-foot easement (road) leading to that property.

The property is owned by Willard R. Seward and Veniza A. Seward, who run an adult family home-care facility at the site. CKSD’s campus borders three of the four sides of the property, as well as the easement.

According to court documents, “Plaintiff (CKSD) seeks to take the property for a public use and purpose, to wit: as a schoolhouse site and as additional grounds for a new Central Kitsap high school and middle school … it is necessary that (CKSD) … ascertain the just compensation to be paid for the taking and damaging of the Property … plaintiff and the Sewards have been unable to agree upon the compensation to be paid.”

According to CKSD, the Sewards signaled a willingness to sell prior to the November vote on a bond and levy that would fund a new high school and middle school, but the Sewards later said they did not want to sell, at least not for less than $1.2 to $1.6 million. The property is assessed at $400,000.

The proposed new middle school and high school would be built as a single building, instead of having separate buildings as is today. The proposed site of the new building was chosen in part because it is situated in between the existing high school and existing middle school, thus students can continue to study at the existing schools until the new building is constructed.

The terraced layout of CKSD’s property was also a factor determining the location.

State law allows schools to use eminent domain to acquire property and is tied in to the “takings clause” of the Fifth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution.

On April 13, the CKSD board voted to authorize use of eminent domain.