Editorial: N.J. must bar eminent domain abuses
“Residents along Main Street in the historic Mullica Hill section received notice recently that a 70-acre section including their homes could be designated as “in need of redevelopment” by the township committee. That declaration in turn paves the way for private developers to take advantage of some tax breaks. It also makes it easier to take private property by eminent domain.
In New Jersey, properties that are underutilized, blighted, abandoned or undesirable in some way can be tagged for redevelopment and, in some cases, subject to takeover. Historically, municipalities have used the right of eminent domain primarily for public buildings or right-of-way. If a town paid fair market value, it could “take” the property for a “public purpose.””
South Jersey TImes 16 August 2013.