Blaine council authorizes easement acquisitions and starts condemnation authority for 105th Avenue roundabout

The Blaine City Council voted Feb. 18 to authorize acquisition of permanent and temporary easements for a planned roundabout on 105th Avenue and to begin the process that allows condemnation or quick‑take if negotiations fail.

City Attorney Larson explained that beginning the condemnation process is standard municipal practice to ensure right‑of‑way is secured on schedule for time‑sensitive construction. Larson said some acquisitions are already covered within the developer’s master development agreement and within the project budget approved for the 105th Avenue work; the southern parcel involves land owned by the Metropolitan Airports Commission and is included in the approved project budget.

Manager Thorvig and engineering staff said negotiations have been ongoing with the Metropolitan Airports Commission, the National Sports Center (which uses part of the area), the development team and Anoka County. Thorvig described a recent multi‑party meeting that tasked technical teams to explore design changes to address Sports Center access concerns; the staff group has met and planned follow‑up meetings this week.

Larson described the legal timing: he estimated a roughly three‑month window to negotiate or secure title through the condemnation process to keep construction on schedule. He also said that, in practice, most municipalities pursue negotiation even while initiating condemnation paperwork.

Council members voted by voice to approve the resolution authorizing the acquisition and related actions. The motion directs staff to continue negotiations and to proceed with legal steps as needed to obtain title and construction access for the roundabout project.