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Hartland board votes to pursue resolution of necessity for vacant 550 Hartbrook Drive parcel
Summary
After residents urged alternatives, the Village Board voted to pursue a resolution of necessity that could begin eminent-domain or acquisition steps for the long-vacant lot at 550 Hartbrook Drive; staff will prepare appraisal and next legal steps.
The Village Board voted July 28 to pursue a resolution of necessity for the vacant lot at 550 Hartbrook Drive — the former bowling-alley parcel — authorizing staff and legal counsel to begin the procedural steps that would support municipal acquisition if negotiations do not succeed.
President Fannerstil said the lot has been vacant for many years and that village staff had received inquiries and observed a long period of non-development. She said the resolution is a preliminary procedural step: it allows the village to ask its attorney to draft the formal resolution that would state the public necessity for the property and to begin appraisal work.
How the process works: Adoption of a resolution of necessity does not itself transfer property. Standard steps the board identified include a formal assessment of fair market value (an appraiser’s report), presentation of the village offer to the landowner, and negotiation. If an agreed sale price is not reached, eminent-domain statutes allow the municipality to file a condemnation petition; in that case the village must be prepared to pay fair market value and, in some instances, indemnify the landowner for certain legal costs if condemnation valuation later proves the municipality’s offer was more than 15% below a court-ordered valuation.
Why the board took this step: The move followed extensive public comment at the meeting urging the village to consider the bowling-alley lot and other non-park properties as alternatives for the proposed municipal facility. Board members said they do not anticipate immediate compulsory acquisition but wanted to open a formal channel to determine whether the private owner would sell on reasonable terms.
Next steps and timing: Legal counsel and staff will arrange an appraisal and draft the required resolution text. Board members said the appraisal and initial outreach should take months rather than years; staff cautioned that exact timing depends on the landowner response and legal process.
Ending: Board members framed the action as a pre-negotiation technical step — not a forcible takeover at this stage — and said they will report appraisal results and any offers back to the board for full public review before any acquisition or condemnation action.
