Eminent Domain

CITY HALL — The City Council tonight is set to extend eminent domain authority in the central Glendale redevelopment area as officials remain locked in negotiations for a key piece of property on Brand Boulevard. The move would extend the city's authority to claim eminent domain authority, which is set to expire in September, for up to 12 years. Under state law, public agencies can use eminent domain to buy a property at fair market value if they can prove the sale would further public good.

Nick Friesen The homeowners of Glendale, by and large, are a fortunate group. We have seen the prices paid for homes in Glendale increase steadily for several decades now. There are several reasons for this phenomenon. The demand for housing -- due to demographics and prosperity -- and inflation has increased, while the cost of money has decreased, as has the relative supply of personal housing. In the short run, increases in demand cause price increases until such time as supply of the good meets or exceeds the demand (Economics 101)

The city of Glendale is apparently approaching the point when some legal decisions can be reached on the future of Mountain Oaks, a 40-acre open space parcel in La Crescenta. Those decisions could include the possible use of eminent domain by the city, according to attorney and Mayor Ara Najarian. The mayor did not specify when the city might move to acquire the property through legal proceedings, a possibility not mentioned before by city officials. City Atty. Scott Howard said he will present a legal opinion to the city within the next two weeks on the status of the property and city options.

CITY HALL — The City Council has authorized the use of eminent domain to acquire a strip of property needed for a proposed rehabilitation of a south Glendale neighborhood. The council Tuesday unanimously approved a resolution to secure a 5-foot easement from the property at 820 S. Maryland Ave. The council also approved the allocation of $17,500, the estimated value of the land, combined with expected fees. The property owner has denied city offers to buy the land, needed for a key component of the $5-million East Garfield Neighborhood Rehabilitation project, officials said.

GLENDALE — The Glendale Community College Board of Trustees will begin talks on Monday about whether to use eminent domain to acquire two properties standing in the way of the college's proposed $20-million Garfield Campus expansion project, college officials said. The two multi-family residential properties, at 920 S. Adams St. and 1130 E. Garfield Ave., are two of three plots needed to make room for the college's plan to add 136 new parking spaces and a new classroom building to the campus.

Warren Swil GLENDALE -- Gregg Development Co., owner and developer of the mammoth Oakmont View V project, has retained a high-powered Los Angeles law firm to advise it on eminent domain issues as the state takes the first step to buy the property through condemnation. Gregg hired the law firm, Sullivan, Workman & Dee, after receiving a letter from the state General Services Administration that it will conduct an appraisal of the 238-acre property.

Just days before a clash between private-property rights and Glendale’s redevelopment power is expected to come to a head over whether to back plans to shutter the Golden Key Hotel on Colorado Street and make it part of the Americana at Brand shopping center, experts say there may not be much of a fight. Golden Key owner Ray Patel has battled the plan at every step, rejecting Americana at Brand developer Rick Caruso’s $6-million buyout offer and unveiling his own plan to revamp his hotel.

CITY HALL — A proposed eminent domain resolution that would allow the city to replace a damaged reservoir beneath a portion of the Chevy Chase Country Club faltered on Tuesday as the necessary support for the measure crumbled among council members. The council voted 4-0 to continue talks and possibly vote on the issue on July 17th, the first council meeting beyond next week when all council members are slated to be present. Next week was deemed too soon to make a decision.

GLENDALE — The City Council will get its chance on Tuesday to take an official stance on a proposition that aims to change how government acquires property through eminent domain. City staff members are encouraging the council to adopt a resolution in opposition to Proposition 90, which they say will seriously limit how governments can use eminent domain and how they impose land-use regulations. "There is really two components to it, one of which is having to do with eminent domain law," Chief Asst.

Bob Hope Airport officials are ready to go to court to get access to Union Pacific Railroad land for environmental testing on a plot near the $120-million transit center. Discussions between the two parties have slowed to a crawl as airport officials work to determine the extent of soil contamination near the planned location of a new transit center, which will bring together commuter trains, bus service and rental car facilities for passengers using Bob Hope. Airport officials are in talks to acquire the land to use as parking for the new center, connected by a pedestrian bridge over Empire Avenue.

CITY HALL — Glendale has agreed to pay a cosmetics company more than $400,000 to settle the company’s claim that it lost business after the city used threats of eminent domain in 2006 to push it out of a tenant building for a street-widening project. DuWop LLC was a tenant in one of several properties that the city acquired in 2006 to make way for a $14.6-million plan to widen Flower Street between Sonora and Western avenues. The project was to coincide with California Department of Transportation plans to build ramps from the Golden State (5)

Representatives of the Americana at Brand and Golden Key Hotel plan have asked for another week to discuss a deal that would allow the mall to expand. On Monday, Americana developer Rick Caruso, and Golden Key owner Ray Patel sent a letter to Glendale City Manager Jim Starbird seeking to put off a hearing on competing redevelopment proposals until March 1. The City Council, acting as the Redevelopment Agency, granted the first one-week extension on Feb. 15, when a standing-room-only crowd packed the chambers for a hearing on whether to approve Caruso’s plan to demolish the hotel and expand the Americana.

Faced with a packed, overflow crowd at Glendale City Hall Tuesday morning, the owners of the Golden Key Hotel and Americana at Brand agreed to postpone a hearing on their competing redevelopment proposals to allow more time for negotiations. About 40 supporters of Golden Key Hotel owner Ray Patel on Tuesday morning demonstrated against Americana at Brand expansion plans, chanting “Let Ray Stay” before reaching City Hall, where the City Council, acting as the Redevelopment Agency, was scheduled to consider Rick Caruso's plans to expand his mall.

Just days before a clash between private-property rights and Glendale’s redevelopment power is expected to come to a head over whether to back plans to shutter the Golden Key Hotel on Colorado Street and make it part of the Americana at Brand shopping center, experts say there may not be much of a fight. Golden Key owner Ray Patel has battled the plan at every step, rejecting Americana at Brand developer Rick Caruso’s $6-million buyout offer and unveiling his own plan to revamp his hotel.

Many readers have written to comment on the latest proposal by Rick Caruso to take over more of Glendale, including the adjacent hotel ("Forcing hotel out would be a mistake," Dec. 27). The Glendale Redevelopment Agency has gone so far as to give the hotel owner 45 days before the possible consideration of eminent domain proceedings. We all understand that eminent domain is an extreme measure where private property is taken for public benefit. My question is: Whose benefit is the Redevelopment Agency considering?

Eminent domain authority The City Council on Tuesday extended the Glendale Redevelopment Agency's eminent domain authority in the Central Glendale project area, which was set to expire on Sept. 29. The ordinance extends the agency's condemnation authority for up to 12 years. WHAT IT MEANS City officials say eminent domain is an important tool for redevelopment efforts, but emphasize it is used as a last resort. VOTE: 5-0 Communication cables The City Council approved a $150,000-contract with Volt Telecommunications Group Inc. for the testing and repair of Glendale Water & Power's system of fiber optic communications cables, which interconnect electric substations and water facilities.

CITY HALL — The City Council tonight is set to extend eminent domain authority in the central Glendale redevelopment area as officials remain locked in negotiations for a key piece of property on Brand Boulevard. The move would extend the city's authority to claim eminent domain authority, which is set to expire in September, for up to 12 years. Under state law, public agencies can use eminent domain to buy a property at fair market value if they can prove the sale would further public good.

CITY HALL — The City Council on Tuesday approved an expanded Museum of Neon Art proposal that will require the city to buy a building on Brand Boulevard. The deal would add to the highly subsidized move that the Los Angeles-based nonprofit museum secured in September. That agreement gave MONA rights to an adjacent vacant city-owned building at 216 S. Brand Blvd. across from the Americana at Brand. Under the proposed 15-year lease, the city would pledge up to $1 million in redevelopment funds to help renovate the vacant building.

CITY HALL — A cosmetics company is suing the city for losses allegedly incurred by eminent domain threats related to the multimillion-dollar Flower Street widening project. DuWop LLC was a tenant in one of several properties that the city acquired in 2006 in order to make way for a $14.6-million plan to widen Flower Street between Sonora and Western avenues. The project was to coincide with California Department of Transportation plans to build ramps from the Golden State (5)