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Tallahassee commission drops eminent‑domain pursuit for Circle K land after community outcry
Summary
After weeks of public pressure from Canopy residents over a planned Circle K gas station adjacent to homes, the City Commission directed staff to discontinue efforts to acquire the site by eminent domain and instead pursue outreach and negotiated options.
Tallahassee commissioners voted to stop pursuing eminent domain to acquire the Circle K site in the Canopy development, after residents described health, safety and insurance risks they say would follow from a fuel station sited next to single‑family homes.
The decision came after hours of public comment from residents who said the proposed Circle K, with multiple pumps and large underground fuel tanks, would sit within a few dozen feet of occupied houses and could make some properties uninsurable. The vote to discontinue eminent domain was 3–2; Commissioners Matlow and Porter opposed the motion.
The city attorney and planning staff told the commission that continuing a condemnation case would be expensive and legally risky. City legal counsel advised that eminent domain requires a high showing of public necessity and warned the commission about potential…
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