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Resident urges board to stop using eminent domain for private development
Summary
During public comment, Jim Farmer warned that using eminent domain to acquire property for private developers creates appearances of corruption and harms Brown Deer’s small-community character, urging a moratorium on large-box stores and more transparency about TIF and lease terms.
Jim Farmer, a Brown Deer resident, told the village board he opposes the use of eminent domain to acquire property for private developers, saying the practice has been used “far too many times in this village.”
“I do not support the use of eminent domain for settlements,” Farmer said, arguing TIF and other taxpayer supports can amount to “corporate welfare” and risk saturating the village with chain businesses that displace unique local merchants. He asked who would lease the grocery space in a proposed redevelopment and what the lease terms and tenant mix would be.
Farmer urged the board to consider ordinances to limit certain kinds of development and suggested a moratorium on large-box stores to preserve Brown Deer’s small-community character. The board did not take action during the meeting; the comment was offered during the public comment period and will be part of the public record.
