Tribune opinion: When it comes to 65th Avenue project, city shouldn’t rush, landowner should compromise
“Eminent domain. Even the words themselves sound ominous.
To be clear, we’re not huge fans of the process, which allows government entities to force what they consider to be a fair-market price on an individual to sell his or her property to the government.
Sometimes, however, it’s necessary. And sometimes — we’re hoping this is the case this time — simply the threat of it is effective.
We’re referring to a project on 65th Avenue in which the city of Greeley has plans to expand the road from two to four lanes. To do so, Greeley must purchase strips of land from three different landowners.
The city sat down with all three. Two agreed quickly, one didn’t.
An original appraisal for the land was done, weighing in at about $86,000. The landowners — David and Harriet Moinat, who developed the nearby Ashton Estates and live in Estes Park — requested a second appraisal, which came in at a whopping $169,000.”
The Tribune 10 July 2016.