The use of eminent domain by the Denver-area Regional Transportation District is coming under increasing scrutiny from homeowners and public officials.
"After hearing emotional testimony from some property owners whose land is being taken for use along a light-rail line, the House Transportation Committee passed an amended bill Tuesday that places curbs on RTD's power of eminent domain."
"'They are taking my home and business and American dream,' Lakewood property owner Galen Foster said to legislators, about the land at West 14th Avenue and Wadsworth Boulevard that he and his wife, Kim Snyder, are losing to the Regional Transportation District."
"RTD is taking their property and other land in the area for a four-story, 1,000-space parking garage to serve the Wadsworth station on the west light-rail line."
"RTD general manager Cal Marsella told lawmakers his agency pays 'fair market value' for land taken through eminent domain."
FULL STORY: Amended eminent-domain bill puts limits
Depopulation Patterns Get Weird
A recent ranking of “declining” cities heavily features some of the most expensive cities in the country — including New York City and a half-dozen in the San Francisco Bay Area.
California Exodus: Population Drops Below 39 Million
Never mind the 40 million that demographers predicted the Golden State would reach by 2018. The state's population dipped below 39 million to 38.965 million last July, according to Census data released in March, the lowest since 2015.
Chicago to Turn High-Rise Offices into Housing
Four commercial buildings in the Chicago Loop have been approved for redevelopment into housing in a bid to revitalize the city’s downtown post-pandemic.
New Park Opens in the Santa Clarita Valley
The City of Santa Clarita just celebrated the grand opening of its 38th park, the 10.5-acre Skyline Ranch Park.
U.S. Supreme Court: California's Impact Fees May Violate Takings Clause
A California property owner took El Dorado County to state court after paying a traffic impact fee he felt was exorbitant. He lost in trial court, appellate court, and the California Supreme Court denied review. Then the U.S. Supreme Court acted.
How Urban Form Impacts Housing Affordability
The way we design cities affects housing costs differently than you might think.
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