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Council approves resolutions of necessity for LAX modernization after property-owner objections
Summary
The City Council voted 14-0 to adopt ordinances authorizing eminent domain as a last resort for property acquisitions tied to the LAX Airfield and Terminal Modernization Project; Los Angeles Community College District and property owners objected and urged further negotiation or full acquisition.
The Los Angeles City Council voted to adopt ordinances approving resolutions of necessity to authorize eminent domain proceedings for multiple properties needed by the LAX Airfield and Terminal Modernization Project (ATMP), the council announced after a scripted public hearing.
Mark Adams, director of government affairs for Los Angeles World Airports (LAWA), told the council the ordinances are intended to allow staff to proceed with condemnation only after voluntary acquisition efforts failed. "These ordinances do not address in any way disagreements over the amount of compensation to be paid for the taking of the property interests," Adams said, noting LAWA had provided written offers and appraisal summaries to owners and would continue negotiations.
Representatives of affected property owners and institutions urged further negotiation. Dr. Lee Sada, chief facilities executive for the Los Angeles Community College District (LACCD), said the proposed partial taking of district property at 9700 South Sepulveda Boulevard would "impact over half of the property, leaving our district with the equivalent of a hole in the middle of a donut." The district said the partial taking has prevented lease renewals and disrupted operations and asked the city to pursue a full acquisition as a more practicable alternative.
Attorney Adam Sigler, representing other owners of 9600 Sepulveda, objected on procedural grounds, saying LAWA had not meaningfully considered alternatives to the taking and urging the council to defer the resolution. He said negotiations were ongoing and that written objections submitted May 29 should be part of the record.
Deputy City Attorney Cynthia Alexander and LAWA staff answered members' questions about project necessity, and council members asked whether LAWA would continue negotiating market-value settlements. In response, LAWA said negotiations were ongoing and that the resolutions are an insurance policy to ensure timely construction should negotiations fail.
After the hearing, the council recorded the vote for the ordinances approving the resolutions of necessity as 14 ayes. The clerk placed LAWA's presentation, the property owners' letters (dated May 29 and June 2) and other supporting materials in the official record.
Because adoption of such ordinances does not set just compensation, LAWA and affected owners will continue negotiations; any compensation disputes would be subject to separate legal processes. LAWA said the acquisitions are sought to support roadway improvements and other elements of ATMP designed to reduce congestion at LAX.
