Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Land Use Property Dispute topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Resident tells council Blair Bend right-of-way has been 'missing' twice; requests city action or purchase, threatens litigation
Summary
Charles Black (who prefers 'Charlie') told Loudon City Council a 100-foot Blair Bend right-of-way shown in his family’s deeds and an ordinance was encroached by a tank farm, leaving properties landlocked; he asked the city to restore or buy the property and warned he would pursue litigation if delayed.
Charles Black, speaking during public comment at the Loudon City Council meeting on Dec. 15, described a decades-long dispute over a 100-foot right-of-way at Blair Bend that he says appears in his family’s warranty deeds and a city ordinance.
Black said the right-of-way was first contested in 1980 when his family sold riverfront land under eminent domain, and that later owners of adjacent property built a tank farm that encroached onto the right-of-way. He said the encroachment was not realized until a buyer discovered the issue and refused to complete a contract for adjoining property because of insufficient egress and ingress. Black told council he had pursued the matter since 2011 and that a prior city planning and zoning filing sought to prevent the property from being landlocked.
"This is about the Blair Bend right away that seemed to be missing again...The owners of the gas plant...were allowed to encroach on the 100 foot right of way with a tank farm," Black said. "Anything else would result in the pursuit of litigation."
Black asked council to expedite a decision and not defer the matter, saying if the city did not act he would pursue legal judgment. Council members asked Black to leave copies of his documents; one councilor said staff would make copies and provide them to members the next day. The council did not resolve the dispute or take a formal action on the matter during the meeting.
The comment references prior actions dating to 2011 when the matter was brought to the Loudon City Planning and Zoning Commission, according to Black, and alleges the city permitted or failed to prevent the later encroachment. Council and staff committed to review the materials Black provided and follow up.
