Thursday, October 28, 1999
Park land may cost Lebanon
Move to stop apartments was forgotten
BY DAVID ECK
Enquirer Contributor
LEBANON — City officials are scrambling to thwart development of a 96-unit apartment complex that they have overlooked for months — and now they may have to pay a premium.
Council on Tuesday passed an ordinance announcing its intent to appropriate a 10-acre site on the city's south side for a park. The ordinance is the first step toward taking the land, slated for the apartment development, by eminent domain for fair market value.
The site last sold for $275,000, but the city would likely have to pay more because of engineering and preliminary site work that has already been done by Associated Land Group. It is not known what those added costs will be, Councilman John McComb said.
If negotiations to buy the property falter, the matter would likely end up in court.
“We offer and there is negotiation,” Deputy City Manager Ed Patterson said. “If we can't come to an agreement, then you go to court and the court will decide.”
Council members say they would prefer a settlement.
“I'm optimistic it will be negotiated one way or the other,” Mr. McComb said. “Maybe they just want to get us to buy the land and be done with it. Or maybe it just goes to court.”
Garth Reynolds of Associat ed Land Group would not comment.
Last year, council sought to swap the site for another piece of property it thought was better suited for apartments. Negotiations stalled and the project ended up on the city's back burner.
In a February memo to council, City Attorney William Duning asked if it wanted to go forward with eminent domain. He got no response, he said.
Recently, bulldozers began clearing the wooded site, to the surprise of residents and city officials.
Councilman Mark Flick avoided pointing fingers, saying that the city was in the midst of changing managers at the time and was involved in other projects.
“There were a ton of things going on,” he said. “There was a tremendous change of personnel. You put them all together and it's easy to get balls dropped. Things happen, unfortunately.”
But about two dozen residents — though pleased that the city is now moving to acquire the site — were hot about the fumble.
“I think they should have done it a year ago,” said Andy Timmerman, who moved into a 1910 Lebanon home seven years ago. “Now they get to buy a parcel of land that's been cleared.”
Mr. McComb said the city staff tried to work with Associated, but communications broke down.
Residents are concerned that the apartment development would cause too much traffic congestion, make the area too dangerous and hurt property values.
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