Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Land Use topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Hayden council authorizes condemnation proceedings to secure right‑of‑way for Ramsey/Honeysuckle roundabout
Summary
Council adopted a resolution to begin condemnation proceedings to acquire about one-eighth of an acre needed to build a roundabout at Ramsey Road and Honeysuckle Avenue, citing Idaho eminent domain statutes and public safety concerns; vote unanimous.
The Hayden City Council voted unanimously on April 14 to adopt a resolution to begin condemnation proceedings to acquire a small parcel needed for right-of-way at the Ramsey Road and Honeysuckle Avenue intersection to build a traffic roundabout.
A councilmember who debated the issue at length acknowledged strong reservations about eminent domain but said he reviewed Idaho statutes (Idaho Code sections 7-721, 7-701 and 7-720) and concluded the takeover is narrowly authorized for public improvements that benefit the community. He described the parcel as roughly one‑eighth of an acre and said putting a monetary deposit with the court to reflect the city’s good‑faith valuation is part of the statutory process so planning and design can move forward without additional delay.
Other councilmembers emphasized eminent domain as a last resort and framed the action as necessary to improve safety and traffic flow at a high‑capacity intersection. After discussion, a motion to adopt the condemnation‑proceedings resolution passed on a roll‑call vote of the members present.
Council instructed staff to follow statutory steps and confirmed reimbursements tied to infrastructure acceptance (discussed earlier in the meeting) do not change the legal process required for acquisition.
