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County moves forward with condemnation
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Baltimore County (Map, News) - Baltimore County Executive Jim Smith is asking legislators to condemn three Dundalk properties slated for revitalization — marking the end of his policy not to seize land for economic development.
Smith wants to use eminent domain, or land seizures for public benefit, to acquire the last nine buildings of the Yorkway apartment complex, which the county wants to redevelop. The county has tried to buy the buildings instead, but property owners have been demanding prices far beyond appraised values, and condemnation is necessary to protect the neighbors of crime-ridden Yorkway, county spokesman Don Mohler said.
He said the county will continue to negotiate in hopes of a settlement.
“At this point, we have to move forward — we can’t have the families of Dundalk waiting any longer,” Mohler said. “We can’t put it off anymore.”
The County Council is scheduled to vote on the request Monday. In May, Councilman Bryan McIntire, R-District 3, voted against paying one owner $350,000 for a building on less than one-fifth of an acre and appraised at $170,000. Calling the offer “grossly excessive,” he and other legislators implored administrators to consider condemnation.
Soon after the vote, Mohler sent lawmakers a plan for the remaining buildings: The county would offer owners the highest of two appraisals, giving them five days to accept. If they rejected the offers, the county would begin the condemnation process.
Tuesday, McIntire called the move a “victory for the taxpayers.”
“I think this shows the significance of making a point at the right time,” McIntire said. “It was silly, paying 200 percent of appraised value.”
Police responded to 3,800 calls at the 56-building Yorkway complex in 2005.
jmalarkey@baltimoreexaminer.com
Under what circumstances should the county condemn properties? Respond below in our comment section.
Comments from Examiner Readers
10:35 AM MST on Tue., Jun. 24, 2008 re: "Economist says Baltimore development hurt city"
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10:54 AM MST on Wed., May. 16, 2007
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10:00 AM MST on Wed., May. 16, 2007
re: "Evans mulls eminent domain against Boys and Girls Club branch"
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AMERICA CALLING said:
what he forgot to add is that baltimore or crime city that bleeds is a big factor
1 agree | 0 disagree
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Examiner Reader said:
I spent 22 years in SoCal, left in 2002 for VA. It was a great state, you could do almost anything there as long as you didnt bother anyone (including being gay etc). Crime was low, taxes etc were managable. Then came the liberal agenda and now its a one party state to include Arnold!. Then came the gun control, taxes on taxes and rules on rules. Gas is more than 4 dollars a gallon and you rent a million dollar shoe box to live in. Watch out Virginia, we are next...
66 agree | 59 disagree
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Examiner Reader said:
True Story. I knew a man who owned a plumbing supply business in Burlingame. His next door neighbor, the SM County Mosquito Abatement District said they "needed" part of his land for its function. He said "no way." They seized it by E.D. claiming a public health "need." He was paid market price, of course, but lost half his land. Ever since, the mosquito abatement people used that extra land for,,,, washing personal vehicles, storing personal tow trailers and personal boats, and other personal no essential stuff. Once when I was visiting him, he told me to go next door and see what they were doing. I walked over and chatted with an employee. He was cleaning a small fish pond with goldfish in it. Moral of the story? THEY DIDN'T NEED THE LAND AS THEY SAID THEY DID. IT TURNED OUT TO BE EXCESS LAND FOR THEM.
75 agree | 59 disagree
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Examiner Reader said:
The county could put an easement on the property . That will make the owner unable to sell the property . Piece of cake. However, if the county wants to take the possession of the property, the county has to have at least 4 independent estimate, then average out to be fair to the owners.
160 agree | 180 disagree
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Examiner Reader said:
Absolutely positively the government has NO RIGHT to take our private property...under NO circumstances. We are begining the slide down the slippery slope of which we can never return. I am afraid this is only the beginning! Not surprising for Maryland.
175 agree | 154 disagree
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Jamie said:
Under what circumstances should the county condemn properties? In this case it's drugs and violence. But did the properties at Yorkway commit these crimes? Hardly. The county is leveling these apartments to make room for higher end homes/condos and pushing the crime somewhere else. So what is it again that we are trying to accomplish? The shifting of crime onto someone else. But where? Who cares. That's not our problem. What we want are better neighbors and a better value for our homes. But is the county making life better for us or our landlords? When will we begin to tackle the root cause of Yorkway? Maybe the new developers will have a great new way to deal with crime and drugs in our neighborhood. Something tells me, though, that this is not their problem. Which leads me back to my question.
166 agree | 159 disagree
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Examiner Reader said:
Only in America
170 agree | 157 disagree
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Cynical Citizen said:
What development is proposed for the Koo's property and in what condition is the property in? Seems notably absent from the article...
172 agree | 187 disagree
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Examiner Reader said:
There is something seriously wrong with this statement. Has this man never heard of the United States Constitution? Evans "said he would seek to condemn the club and have the city take it under eminent domain if it chooses to sell to developers and fails to include some sort of comparable community organization. "
190 agree | 211 disagree
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