Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Public Comment topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Resident warns commission about potential eminent‑domain action and urges protection of historic Washington Avenue properties
Summary
During public comment a resident with family ties to Washington Avenue urged the commission to protect historically significant properties and said he believes village administration may pursue eminent domain later in the year; the commission acknowledged the concern and said any such action would come before the appropriate bodies for review.
A resident raised long‑standing historic‑preservation concerns and said he fears the village administration may pursue eminent domain for properties on Washington Avenue.
The speaker, who did not give his name in the transcript, told the commission he has lived in and worked to preserve buildings on Washington Avenue and said his house is the last remaining building from a segregated Salvation Army camp and has family ties to the community. He said that because of the property’s historic designation he expects the village may seek eminent domain action by the end of the calendar year and that the commission would be asked to review preservation implications if that occurs.
“...if any kind of eminent domain comes before you, it will not be met with any kind of of effort except that of parishes,” the resident said, urging commissioners to consider the historical significance of the neighborhood and the families tied to it.
The commission thanked the speaker for raising the concerns and clarified that subcommittee and administrative working meetings are different from full public meetings; it said outcomes of internal reviews will be presented and discussed at a regular public meeting. The commission did not indicate any formal eminent‑domain proceeding on the agenda nor did staff state such a proceeding is underway.
Because the transcript does not show a staff denial or confirmation of imminent eminent‑domain action, the claim remains an unresolved public concern recorded during comment.
