Tacoma to appeal order that it pay $2 million in Walmart dispute

TACOMA -- Tacoma plans to appeal after a federal judge last month ordered the city to pay $2 million to an investor group in a case involving development of a Walmart retail store.

U.S. District Court Judge Ronald B. Leighton ruled in April that the city violated the due process rights of Allenmore Medical Investors by engaging in "irrational actions" in its effort to stop the company from getting a permit and building a Walmart store.

The News Tribune reports that the judge found the city was wrong to apply a moratorium to a permit application for the retail store.

Allenmore Medical Investors sued the city in August 2014, arguing that its efforts to stop Walmart cost real estate developers $1.8 million.

Tacoma filed a notice of appeal with the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals on Friday.