Schaumburg Board votes for private-use eminent domain
December 10th, 2008 | by Brian Costin Published in Blog, Eminent Domain, Features, Property Rights, Schaumburg Politics, Transparency | 2 Comments
At the December 9th Schaumburg Village Board meeting, afforded the public a very important opportunity to either voice support or opposition for the eminent domain proceedings at 8-26 N. Roselle Road to condemn and resell the property to a private developer.
This property is home to a Sara Lee/Market Day outlet store that has given hundreds of thousands of dollars back to the local community over the many years of its existence. This small store has shown a great deal of concern for the people of our community while many other local businesses shy away from this practice. The Sara Lee/Market Day outlet store is providing a service to the community that most will not match.
It is also home to Hair Clip, whose owner escaped the oppression of communist Vietnam to live and work in the world’s greatest bastion of freedom, the USA. Now, that the Village of Schaumburg is looking to kick these people out of their businesses, we are learning that the land of the free isn’t so free after all.
The Schaumburg Village Board’s eminent domain steamroller shows no signs of slowing. At the recent Board Meeting, the Trustees voted 6-0 in favor of proceeding as scheduled. However, at this Board Meeting, the Schaumburg Freedom Coalition issued this statement in opposition to the Village’s plans.
The Schaumburg Freedom Coalition opposes the issuance of the $9,000,000 bond for the purposes of condemnation of a property through eminent domain and resale to a private developer. We oppose the use of eminent domain by the Village of Schaumburg for the gain of private enterprises.
A recent Daily Herald article stated that the property owner has previously expressed interest in redeveloping his own property but was rebuked by the Village through burdensome zoning ordinances that disallowed it. This is outrageous!
According to State of Illinois Law, the Village of Schaumburg must prove that the property that they wish to condemn is blighted. How can a property owner prevent his or her property from being considered blighted if they can’t legally improve and redevelop their own property?
I plead to the Village Board to reconsider the issuance of this $9,000,000 bond.
This use of eminent domain is not ethical, it is not moral. Eminent domain is the antithesis of what it means to live in a free society where we respect the property rights of our neighbors. The Schaumburg Freedom Coalition does not believe the Village’s use of eminent domain to resell the property to a private developer is what the people of Schaumburg want.
The Schaumburg Freedom Coalition pleads with the Village Board to, at the very least, put the question of the $9,000,000 bond issuance and the power of using eminent domain for non-public use on the ballot in the April municipal elections.
Let the people of Schaumburg decide on these very important issues openly and fairly and through the democratic process.
Please vote ‘no’ on this ordinance tonight, and move to put these issues on the ballot out of respect to the people of Schaumburg.
It is the right thing to do.
Unfortunately, not a single Board Member voted against the eminent domain ordinance. Trustees George Dunham, Jack Sullivan, Mark Madej, Marge Connelly, Tom Dailly, and Hank Curcio voted 6-0 in favor of the ordinance. Mayor Al Larson also supported this measure.
It is time for change in Schaumburg. The Schaumburg Freedom Coalition believes that private property should never be taken for private commercial enterprise. We are looking for potential candidates in the 2009 and 2011 municipal elections who will respect private property rights and oppose eminent domain powers that condemn properties for private profits.
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December 11th, 2008 at 12:41 AM (#)
I thought it was worth mentioning that at the village meeting during the reading of this statement that Mayor Al Larson cut me off before I was finished and called for a vote on the issue. When I asked to finish my statement Mayor Al Larson completely shot me down.
I was literally scared that he was going to ask one of the police officers there to remove me from the public meeting or event arrest me.
To his credit, however, after the voting was completed Larson allowed me to finish my statement but at that point the vote had already occurred.
December 11th, 2008 at 8:26 PM (#)
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