Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Property owners and residents say council hid eminent‑domain step that affected long‑running auto business
Summary
Owners of a long‑standing downtown dealership and multiple residents told the City Council they were blindsided by a proposed condemnation after maps identifying the site appeared in a federal grant application and local news coverage.
A group of Grand Junction residents and small‑business owners pressed the City Council during public comment on June 18 over the city’s use of eminent domain and how the matter was handled on a consent agenda, saying a long‑running downtown dealership learned of potential condemnation only after press reports.
Mike and Amber Martinez, who own GJ Auto Sales and said they operated the business for 22 years, told the council they were not consulted about plans that placed their property in maps for a proposed regional transportation hub and that they learned details from a newspaper. "To know now that you all had agreed to eminent domain and condemnation behind our backs is disgusting," Amber…
Already have an account? Log in
Subscribe to keep reading
Unlock the rest of this article — and every article on Citizen Portal.
- Unlimited articles
- AI-powered breakdowns of topics, speakers, decisions, and budgets
- Instant alerts when your location has a new meeting
- Follow topics and more locations
- 1,000 AI Insights / month, plus AI Chat
