FERNDALE - The City Council voted Monday, Feb. 6, to condemn portions of five private properties the city needs to widen Main Street between Douglas Road and Church Road.
The 6-0 vote enables the city to take those strips of property along Main Street by court order if necessary, so a street-widening project can begin as scheduled in June. No buildings would be affected.
Councilman Brent Goodrich was absent, leaving six members to vote.
No one spoke on behalf of the property owners at the meeting. The four owners - one has two of the parcels - were invited to attend.
One of the five proposed condemnations would grant the city access to a 20-foot-wide cut through Ferndale Mobile Village, south of Main Street on Douglas Road. This easement would enable crews to access part of the stormwater system to be built for the Main Street project.
The easement should be resolved before a judge orders a condemnation, Ferndale project manager Katy Radder said. On Monday, she said she was told "the easement is in the mail."
Holdout property owners on Main Street mostly disagree with the city on price, city staff has said. The court can order an immediate transition of the properties to the city, and a final sale price can be determined later.
The city is legally required to purchase the condemned land at fair market value. It also can negotiate improvements to the seller's remaining property.
Homer Hughes, the owner of a multifamily rental home at 2353 Mountain View Road, hasn't entered meaningful negotiations with the city over price because he opposes the project. Although his property was condemned last month, the city repealed that ordinance to include the Hughes property with the rest.
Other properties that have portions slated for condemnation: an apartment complex at Main and Hendrickson Road and an adjacent vacant property, both owned by the Jones Family Trust; and an 18.3-acre undeveloped lot at Main and Church owned by Shoreline Bank. The city plans to widen Church Road, possibly in 2014, so the total property take on that lot would be 0.85 acre along both streets.
Radder will continue to talk with property owners to try to reach agreement before the condemnations are final, she said.
The $4.3 million Main Street project will add sidewalks, a center turn lane and extra space for bicyclists.
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