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Land-taking possible in city
Top Headlines ARA Executive Director Michael Milanoski said the ARA board will likely be asked to take the property of both owners "at the next meeting or so." About three acres is owned by Reynolds and Markman, an industrial supply company that operates from the site. Another acre is the former site of Johnson Fabrication and is owned by Orville Richardson. The property is off Olive Street near the railroad tracks. The companies and the ARA have been negotiating on and off for more than two years, but have not been able to agree on a price. That will force the ARA to take the property by eminent domain and pay what real estate appraisers have determined is fair market value. Price also is dictated by regulations of the Federal Transit Administration, which is funding many of the downtown improvements that include a new MBTA parking garage, a GATRA bus station, new roads, condominiums and retail space, officials said. About $10 million has been committed to the project by the federal and state governments to date. The sides have been at loggerheads since early last year, with Reynolds and Markman officials saying the company can't relocate and thrive on the money offered by the ARA. The owner of the Johnson property had intended to develop a self-storage facility on the site, and claims the dispute has cost him time and money. In March of last year, city councilors said they would vote for the Urban Renewal Plan that governs the multi-phase, multi-year and multi-million dollar downtown project only if a settlement with the two companies was deemed by them to be fair. The urban renewal plan was approved last year. Meanwhile, another company, Mantrose-Haeuser, has offered to donate a small piece of its property that's needed for the project. Milanoski said the ARA will save about $100,000 because of the donation.
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attlebrockton wrote on Aug 25, 2008 11:08 AM:
ricknkim wrote on Aug 25, 2008 9:51 AM:
attlebrockton wrote on Aug 25, 2008 9:18 AM:
kim allard wrote on Aug 21, 2008 10:38 PM:
ricknkim wrote on Aug 21, 2008 4:58 PM:
ricknkim wrote on Aug 21, 2008 4:36 PM:
skeptic wrote on Aug 21, 2008 4:29 PM:
attlebrockton wrote on Aug 21, 2008 4:27 PM:
ricknkim wrote on Aug 21, 2008 4:10 PM:
ricknkim wrote on Aug 21, 2008 3:55 PM:
attlebrockton wrote on Aug 21, 2008 3:49 PM:
attlebrockton wrote on Aug 21, 2008 3:43 PM:
ricknkim wrote on Aug 21, 2008 3:37 PM:
It is easy to look at some of the awful looking properties throughout Attleboro and wish they'd go away but to actually see a government act as prosecutor, judge and jury - it is a bit concerning. Just because I think some residents should be ashamed as to their properties current sad state doesn't make my opinion worthy - live and let live no? But then something like that happens next door and I'm up in arms as to the negative affect it has on my property value and the view from my front window . . . . slippery slope. "
attlebrockton wrote on Aug 21, 2008 2:53 PM:
ricknkim wrote on Aug 21, 2008 2:38 PM:
realist wrote on Aug 21, 2008 12:35 PM:
The difference is that the Pike and other public projects were built for the benefit of all and remained under control of the government (for better or worse). However this is a perversion of the intent. The land is being taken with the express intent of turning it over to private developers for their profit. There are cases of nice ocean front cottages being taken so a developer can put up a hotel. A woodshop being taken so Home Depot could be built.
The government at any level should not look at a piece of land and decide the use of it does not fit their vision of what should be there. Some politicians will try to say that it does benefit the public because more taxes will be generated. Well, have you ever known a new source of tax revenue to lower other peoples' taxes. If you have the time I would like to point out a few links about the abuse of eminent domain:
http://www.ij.org/Private_property/connecticut/
http://www.sandiegomagazine.com/media/San-Diego-Magazine/January-2006/Masters-of-your-Domain/
http://www.capmag.com/article.asp?ID=4420
and the occasional happy ending:
http://ij.org/private_property/longbranch/8_7_08pr.html "
attlebrockton wrote on Aug 21, 2008 11:18 AM:
ricknkim wrote on Aug 21, 2008 10:40 AM:
attlebrockton wrote on Aug 21, 2008 10:30 AM:
ricknkim wrote on Aug 21, 2008 9:49 AM:
As for boutique shopping and latte sipping, if it improves Attleboro as a whole, so be it. I won't visit them, but am sure my wife will. I'd be more interested if a decent restaurant finally moved in to town. . . . "
attlebrockton wrote on Aug 21, 2008 9:49 AM:
jose21 wrote on Aug 21, 2008 9:40 AM:
attlebrockton wrote on Aug 21, 2008 8:37 AM:
realist wrote on Aug 21, 2008 8:15 AM:
To close down a business and tell it to move so the mayor can further his strange view of Attleboro as some sort of botique shopping, latte sipping Utopia should be illegal. "
attlebrockton wrote on Aug 21, 2008 8:10 AM:
Harry Hindsight wrote on Aug 21, 2008 7:46 AM:
Offer them a parcell in the IBP at a reduced price. Either that or make them the same offer as the company going to Tauton. "
Atticus wrote on Aug 21, 2008 6:37 AM:
attlebrockton wrote on Aug 21, 2008 6:07 AM: