Our View: Deal helps avoid dubious use of eminent domain
“Last year, in order to help push along the stalled plans for an office park north of Interstate 80, Iowa City officials decided the city should try invoking its power of eminent domain to seize land from a reluctant property owner (NCS Pearson) on which it could then use to build a new road that would connect the proposed park to Highway 1.
City officials argued that the proposed condemnation was within the letter of the law because it was for public infrastructure. It was a dubious argument at best, but with so many courts having ruled in favor of such creative and aggressive use of eminent domain, the city felt the odds were good enough that — given the impasse with NCS Pearson — it should roll the dice and see if invoking eminent domain would help speed the process along.”
Editorial Board. Press Citizen 19 March 2014.