New Jersey has dominated the eminent domain news this week. Given that the state has not yet reformed its eminent domain laws and still has some of the most lax standards for using eminent domain, it’s not all that surprising.
- We begin in Trenton, where the legislature is considering putting some limits on eminent domain in the state. Debate stalled over prohibiting seizures of contaminated land if the property owners are working with the state Department of Environmental Protection to clean it up. Legislators are debating over two measures and are trying to come to an agreement on of them.
- In Long Branch, the local paper, The Atlanticville, covered last week’s appeal. The paper has a fairly extensive article on the hearing itself, including a lot of dialogue. The paper also covered the pre-hearing rally as well.
- In other news, yesterday the Concerned Citizens Coalition of Long Branch awarded the MTOTSA Alliance for its “sustained fight” against eminent domain abuse in Long Branch.
- In a final item related to the Long Branch case, the executive editor of a group of local papers in New Jersey has some advice for the judges who presided over the hearing.
- It looks like Donald Trump may be getting involved in redevelopment in North Arlington. The city had originally intended to use eminent domain for project, but voters elected an anti-abuse mayoral candidate. The city is now in court with that developer. Castlewatch covered the whole complicated story last year.
- The city of Bayonne selected a developer for its downtown redevelopment last month. Plans call for a “mixed-use transit village.” There are 17 private properties in redevelopment zone and the mayor has said city officials “don’t anticipate using eminent domain,” which isn’t exactly reassuring.
- Events in Edison should remind property owners that it’s never too early to get involved in your local government’s planning process. Officials in Edison Township are considering creating an independent redevelopment agency. The Edison / Metuchen Sentinel cautions township officials that they could be “unleashing a Frankenstein’s monster upon the residents” if the agency’s powers, including that of eminent domain, aren’t scaled back.
- Finally, Greetings from Asbury Park will be screened next weekend at the New Jersey International Film Festival on Rutgers’ New Brunswick campus. The Princeton Packet has a very nice review of the documentary.