Kelo Report

[cathleeninnh]

Hereby is one word. And the last sentence has an if in it that doesn't sound like it belongs.

Great message!!

Cathleen

[TackleTheWorld]

That's how you spell hereby.

Much better,

Thank you Cathleen.

[TackleTheWorld]

Latest news from The Day:

Kelo's pink house to be relocated

Published on 6/30/2006 in

New London -- Susette Kelo?s little pink cottage, the home that was the subject of a landmark U.S. Supreme Court case and a national symbol of the fight over eminent domain, will be spared from the wrecking ball.  In a compromise between Kelo and  New London, the home will be saved and moved to another location, perhaps close to where it originally stood over a century ago, near Pequot Avenue. 

The U.S. Supreme Court ruled a year ago in Kelo v. New London that the city has a right to take the Kelo property and other homes to encourage economic development. The ruling sparked a national debate over the use of eminent domain for private development.
   
?It is wonderful that Susette Kelo?s little pink house, which is a national symbol of the fight against eminent domain abuse, will remain standing,? said Scott Bullock, senior attorney for the Institute for Justice, which continues to represent the remaining two homeowners.  ?The home will continue to serve as a tribute to her brave struggle and as a powerful symbol of the fight to stop land grabs by cities and their developer allies.?

?I am not happy about giving up my property, but I am very glad that my home, which means so much to me, will not be demolished and I will remain living in it,? said Kelo, the lead plaintiff in Kelo v. New London.  ?I proposed this as a compromise years ago and was turned down flat.?

The city and the remaining homeowners had been at an impasse.  The city gave them a May 31 deadline for accepting a settlement or face eviction.  Two of the homeowners, Susette Kelo and the Cristofaro family, refused.  Gov. M. Jodi Rell proposed moving the homes and giving real titles back to the homeowners in Fort Trumbull, but the city rejected the suggestion.

Faced with eviction and the destruction of her beloved home, Kelo put forward an idea that she had originally proposed when first threatened with eminent domain abuse:  preserving the home and moving it.

Fewer details were avaiable concerning the Cristofaro settlement. The Cristofaros will lose their current home, but under the agreement, the city has agreed to support an application for more housing in Fort Trumbull, and the Cristofaro family has an exclusive right to purchase one of the homes at a fixed price. 

Details of the settlement were provided by the Institute for Justice this afternoon.

[JonM]

Move the pink house to New Hampshire!

[KBCraig]

Move the pink house to New Hampshire!

Perhaps to 34 Cilley Hill Rd., Weare?

[Kat Kanning]

 

[FrankChodorov]

"Oh but aint that america for you and me
Aint that america were someting to see baby
Aint that america, home of the free
Little pink houses for you and me"

-John Cougar Mellencamp

http://www.lyricsfreak.com/j/john+mellencamp/pink+houses_20074447.html

[KBCraig]

"Paint it pink!" protests? Paint pink everything that has been stolen by NLDC, or everything that is built on land they stole?

Hmmm....

[TackleTheWorld]

"Paint it pink!" protests? Paint pink everything that has been stolen by NLDC, or everything that is built on land they stole?

Hmmm....

[KBCraig]

"Paint it pink!" protests? Paint pink everything that has been stolen by NLDC, or everything that is built on land they stole?

Hmmm....

Rut-roh!

[FTL_Ian]

Why is the news reporting that Christofaro and Kelo have both entered agreements?  Are they ignoring the Christofaro demands?

[TackleTheWorld]

No, they met the Cristofaro demands. 

Here's the story:
[italics mine]

Final two holdouts in eminent domain case reach agreement
 
By SUSAN HAIGH
Associated Press Writer

June 30, 2006, 4:46 PM EDT

HARTFORD, Conn. -- The last two holdouts in New London's Fort Trumbull neighborhood agreed Friday to give up their land to make way for private development, ending an eight-year battle that went all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court.

Susette Kelo, the lead plaintiff in the case, agreed to have her pink cottage moved elsewhere in New London.

"Even though she lost her land, the little pink home that launched a national revolution is safe, and it's going to stand as a testament to her heroic struggle and the struggle against eminent domain abuse throughout the country," said Scott Bullock, a spokesman for the Institute for Justice, which represented the homeowners.

Pasquale Cristofaro, the other holdout, has agreed to give up his home but is entitled to purchase a new one in the neighborhood at a fixed price if new homes are built. He also has the option to build on the Fort Trumbull peninsula, as long as whatever he builds complies with a plan of development.

"I'm relieved, but it's a sad day because the city doesn't want us there," said Michael Cristofaro, Pasquale's son. "I'm going to have to see that house be torn down and you can bet I'll be there when they tear that house down. I'm not going to let them get away with thinking that day is just going to come and go."

The amount of money involved in the settlements was not released.

Cristofaro said his family won some concessions in the final negotiations that mean a lot to them personally. The city must erect a plaque on the planned Fort Trumbull riverwalk honoring Cristofaro's mother, Margherita, who died in 2003. The city and its development arm must also transplant rhododendron bushes and arborvitae from Cristofaro's property. He does not expect the house to be torn down until after October, when the plants can be moved safely.
Cristofaro credited Gov. M. Jodi Rell and a representative from the state Department of Economic and Community Development with getting involved in the final negotiations, treating the homeowners with compassion and understanding that small concessions were important.

"That's what the city didn't understand," he said. "People have personal attachments to their property and money is not always what people want. These were concessions that the city didn't even bother to try to make. They just wanted you out."

The Cristofaros and Kelo had faced the possibility of forced eviction from their homes to make way for a riverfront project slated to include condominiums, a hotel and office space.

But last week, Rell announced a tentative agreement between the city's development arm, the New London Development Corp., and the homeowners.

Rell, in a written statement, said Friday that she was pleased the final agreements have been signed. She thanked Kelo and the Cristofaro for their willingness to "negotiate and responsibly settle this very difficult and painful issue."

"Now these families can have some closure and the Fort Trumbull economic development project will go forward without delay, infusing new jobs and vitality into the region," she said.

The five other property owners in the case had already settled with the city and handed over their properties. The New London Development Corp. first condemned the properties in 2000, and the U.S. Supreme Court ruled 5-4 on June 23, 2005, that New London had the right to them.

The court also said states were free to change their eminent domain laws. Legislatures in 20 states have since passed some form of legislation limiting eminent domain. The Democrat-controlled Connecticut General Assembly was not one of them, despite pleas from Republicans to prevent eminent domain seizures for projects such as shopping malls or condominiums that benefit private developers.

Rell said Friday that Connecticut should work to limit eminent domain when the next legislative session opens in January.

Cristofaro said he is not giving up on the issue.

"It's a happy and sad day. I'm now able to get my life back, but the thing is, I will never stop fighting for people's property rights across this nation," he said. "There's a lot of good things coming out because of our fight here in New London. People are uprising across the nation."


Copyright 2006 Newsday Inc.

I half-way expect to see the NLDC board of directors to walk down main street with their pants around their ankles, as I thought that would be one of the demands.

[Tom Sawyer]

Good for the holdouts...

Thanks for being our eyes (and heart) in Fort Trumbull.

[Russell Kanning]

"Now these families can have some closure and the Fort Trumbull economic development project will go forward without delay, infusing new jobs and vitality into the region," she said.

Government planning over the free market ...... and plain old normal people ..... making the decisions.
With the way New London is doing things .... they are doomed to fail.

[Lloyd Danforth]

True.  They will eventually spend beyond the taxes this project will bring them.