How different entities in Denton use eminent domain
“Denton is a government town, with two large public universities and a workforce with deep ties to city and county government work.
It’s also a city grappling with growth problems, forcing entities to expand fast to meet demands. To expand, governmental agencies need land.
The University of North Texas System Board of Regents voted last month to acquire four properties near the Denton campus that happen to hold New York Sub Hub, beloved by a couple generations of UNT students, and several other successful businesses. The move means that officials could either buy the land outright or use the power of eminent domain to acquire the land.
The way governmental agencies like UNT use the power can seem convoluted, especially when community members have vocally opposed the practice.
“At the core of it, there has to be a public purpose and a public necessity to take that property,” local eminent domain attorney Josh Westrom said. “Condemning authorities have pretty broad discretion, but they can’t take that property from you as a private landowner and pass it on to a private developer.””
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Duncan, Jenna. Denton Record Chronicle 10 March 2019.