<<http://www.news-press.com/news/local_state/040426land.html>>
Land seized for private use possible Legislation would help developers By JEFF CULL, [EMAIL PROTECTED] Published by news-press.com on April 26, 2004 Florida�s constitution allows governments to take your land for a public purpose, such as a road or school, as long as you receive a fair price. But legislation � which could be approved this week � would allow a city or county to take an individual�s land, with fair compensation, and sell it to a private developer for a shopping center or office building. Opponents of the proposed law say it�s little more than a government-sponsored land grab for developers. �This bill is a shocking grant of wholesale power to counties to condemn very large amounts of property just to assemble it for private development,� said Dana Berliner, senior attorney at the Washington, D.C.-based Institute for Justice, a public interest law firm. Frank Schnidman, a professor of community and economic development at Florida Atlantic University and an expert in land planning, agreed. �They basically want to loosen up the definition of public purpose so land can be taken for development,� he said. Proponents say it�s necessary so that communities such as Cape Coral and Lehigh Acres, which have thousands of small residential lots and not enough commercial land, can ensure they have enough property for future businesses. �For some of these communities it�s absolutely essential,� said Sen. Mike Bennett, R-Bradenton, the Senate bill sponsor. The bill proposes to broaden the �public use� restriction in condemnation, or eminent domain, laws to include any reason a county or city may have, such as increasing tax revenue or promoting economic development. ... ----- "If evil could be branded, its emblem would be the Wal-Mart logo." -Inthesetimes article
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