At the next meeting City Council there will be a vote to use the power of eminent domain to acquire 800 to 810 Madison. The property is in the Northwest Redevelopment Zone. The city's plan is for the property owner to sell his land to the "designated developer" for this lot. Since they have not agreed on a price, the city is stepping in, using its power of eminent domain to acquire the land, and then reselling it to the designated developer. The state constitution states, "Private property shall not be taken for public use without just compensation." What kind of "public use" will this property be used for? Is it a park? A school? A fire station? A road? Those are "public uses."
To transfer this land from one private owner to another is not a "public use." It is the abuse of the government's power of eminent domain. The city's intentions are good, but is this the proper role for government? Should the city council be involved with things best left to the free market? The city would say that this property is "blighted," and that justifies the use of eminent domain. "Blighted" in whose eyes? What would you do if the city "designate" someone to buy your house, at a price you don't want? What if the city decides that your house is "blighted" and needs to be knocked down? Don't think it can't happen to you. The city of Lakewood, Ohio has designated a certain neighborhood as "blighted" because the homes lack two car garages and the "right" number of bathrooms and bedrooms. They have even said that if a home is not worth a certain amount per square foot it is a "blight." This is not an isolated incident.
Eminent domain abuse is epidemic across the country. We don't need to trample on people's property rights in order to get new construction in the Northwest part of town. The city council should simply change the zoning of these properties from industrial to the desired mix of commercial and residential, and then step back, and let the free market work. The Maxwell House, Shipyard and Hoboken Cover projects were industrial zones, which the city changed, but no "designated developer" was brought in.
Property rights are a functional civil right, just as important as freedom of speech and freedom of religion. If you value your property rights, to protect your home, you should come to the next city council meeting and urge them to let freedom work, by stopping eminent domain abuse. To learn more about this issue, check out www.castlecoalition.org
Sincerely,
Bill Tobias
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