Your friend being a car lot would need to check the soil to make sure they do not have environmental contamination.  

City Council is choosing to pick on the group they think they are most likely to prevail against and has the least means to fight back.Many investors I talk to think this is grossly unfair and that lead contamination can come from a lot of different places and isn't always a result of lead paint.

I think you'll find, if you DID NOT fill out Seller Property Disclosure form or a give the buyer a DISCLOSURE FORM 17 (Seller Disclosure to buyer) it may fall under a law suit if things do appear.It's been PROVEN on many occasions in Washington State Law that an item, a work defect or a material defect would be "AS IS" but, the whole property that is supposed to be LIVABLE and not CONTAMINATED is not an "AS IS" definition.

Currently my methods to locate the property have been:- researching the APN of vacant land to locate owner information and try and contact the owner (Title Search);  - reach out to Commercial Lenders/Bankers; - contact city redevelopment; and now - the BP investment community for more productive method of finding the proper land, proper zoning, no soil contamination, title or right of way issues.I am at a bit of an road block and would appreciate any constructive ideas the BP community is willing to provide. 

Is there the possibility of connecting to utility water if the spring runs dry or becomes contaminated?

Rima and I keep people out of trouble with the highly-regulated toxic and hazardous materials - asbestos, lead, VOCs, soil and groundwater contamination, plus indoor air quality and the almost unregulated mold.  

They send them away to a clean room so that contaminants don't get into the gear box.

Of course your perspective will be shaped to the viewpoint you have because you're surrounded by the most at risk in one of the most contaminated areas. 

Of course certain communities are higher risk and a lot more work but if the investor is competent, knows how to screen and has no ideology  contaminated by radio pundit rhetoric; the chances of being successful are much greater.

Even outside the main contamination zone, they are still taking temperatures of employees when they enter buildings to go to work.