Court OKs First Eminent Domain Seizure for High-Speed Rail Project
“It was not, perhaps, the sort of milestone the California High-Speed Rail Authority was looking for to mark its progress in construction of the first 29-mile stretch of track between Madera and Fresno.
But on a beleaguered $68-billion project—facing immense financial and political challenges—this will have to do.
The State Public Works Board (SPWB) voted 3-0 Friday to let the agency use eminent domain to make the first seizure of property it needs for the bullet-train. It won’t be the last. It has been estimated that 20% of the 370 or so parcels the state needs to obtain will end up being taken via this last resort.
The 2.5-acre parcel includes a 20,000-square-foot warehouse that is leased to the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation. Rail officials told the Associated Press they first made an offer on the property in May but never heard back from the owner. Its value was pegged at $2.3 million by Fresno County.”
All Gov California 16 December 2013.