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December 14, 2009
Eminent Domain in New York
The NY Times
Editorial
A New York State appellate court has misguidedly put a roadblock in the way of Columbia University’s expansion plans, ruling that the state misused eminent domain to help Columbia assemble the land it needs. This decision conflicts with the relevant law and will make it much harder for the university to move ahead with a project that would benefit the surrounding neighborhood and the entire city.
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The decision is completely out of step with eminent domain law, including a recent 6-to-1 decision from the New York State Court of Appeals, the state’s highest court. That court ruled that Brooklyn’s Atlantic Yards, a commercial development, can use eminent domain to secure land to build new housing and a basketball arena for the Nets. That was the right decision, and the case for Columbia is even stronger.
NoLandGrab: We'd hardly expect a newspaper whose new headquarters was built on land acquired by eminent domain to think otherwise; however, there was no mention that their building was developed and co-owned by Forest City Ratner, the developer of the "Brooklyn Atlantic Yards" project, for which the paper supports the use of eminent domain. Hmmm...
Additional...
DDDB.net, The House Organ of the Eminent Domain Abusers Opens Its Mouth Wide
Ignoring extremley damning details of the opinion against the Empire State Development Corporation's use of eminent domain for Columbia University (such as acting in bad faith, subverting due process, the production of a blight study described as "idiocy" and "sophistry"), the New York Times editorial board has produced this piece of editorial drivel below.
Never mind that New York State is not just the biggest abuser of eminent domain, but it also clearly has the worst and most developer friendly process of stealing people's properties in the entire country.
blogs.columbiaspectator.com, The New York Times criticizes recent court ruling
Posted by lumi at December 14, 2009 4:57 AM