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West Family Trust urges compensation for road built across private property
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Summary
At public comment a lawyer for the West Family Trust said the city constructed a road across trust land without initiating eminent‑domain proceedings and asked the council to negotiate a settlement of about $540,000 (roughly $9 per square foot for 60,000 sq ft). The comment described inverse‑condemnation rights and asked the city to work toward a fair resolution.
During public comment Lillian Salcedo addressed the council on behalf of Michael Patrick and Jeffrey David West and the West Family Trust, which owns property at 601 North K Street in Needles. Salcedo described an inverse‑condemnation claim alleging the city constructed a road across the trust’s property without filing formal eminent‑domain proceedings and without just compensation.
Salcedo cited inverse‑condemnation doctrine and a U.S. Supreme Court precedent (cited in her remarks) as the legal basis for the claim and said the trust would prefer to resolve the matter cooperatively. She requested the council recognize the trust’s claim and engage to reach a fair‑market settlement. The trust’s proposed figure in the public comment was $9 per square foot for roughly 60,000 square feet (about $540,000) reflecting the trust’s valuation for permanent public use.
The remarks were made in the public‑comment period; no council action or response resolving the claim was taken during the meeting. City staff and legal counsel did not announce a follow‑up action during the meeting record.
Why it matters: an inverse‑condemnation claim could require negotiation or litigation and, if pursued, might entail compensation and budget or legal counsel costs. The council did not act on the claim during the meeting; the matter, if pursued, would move through legal and administrative channels.
