BUENA PARK : City May Expand Eminent Domain
The City Council will hold a public hearing next month to discuss expanding eminent domain in a redevelopment project area on Beach Boulevard.
Six parcels are subject to eminent domain in the area known as the Entertainment Corridor, which extends along a one-mile stretch of Beach Boulevard from Orangethorpe Avenue to Crescent Avenue and includes Knott’s Berry Farm.
If the City Council agrees, eminent domain will be expanded to include 26 more parcels. A hodgepodge of businesses are in the proposed expanded area, including the Movieland Wax Museum and a Po Folks Restaurant.
Although the city has no plans for those 26 parcels now, it expects to have plans in the future, said May Hui, acting director of the agency.
Under eminent domain, public agencies may buy private property at fair market value without consent of the owners. Fair market value, if disputed, is settled by the courts.
The hearing will give the property owners a chance to voice their opinion on the proposal.
Beach Boulevard, which plays host to more than 5 million visitors each year, is the heart of the city’s tourist trade. During the last two years, the Redevelopment Agency has aggressively pursued varied projects in the Entertainment Corridor to complement such existing tourist attractions as Knott’s. Several new restaurants have opened, and existing businesses have remodeled to meet redevelopment requirements.
The hearing is scheduled for 5:30 p.m. April 16 at the City Council chambers. The proposal will then go before the council for final approval.
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