Eminent Domain Abuse

Mableton, GA, local community activists and property owners want a "town square" for Mableton, which isn't even a town, it's just a place called Mableton. So, they get Cobb County to pay for an urban planner to draw up a plan. Then they get the County to build the plan. In the SPLOST notebook it's called "XYZ Road Extension", and in fact extending XYZ Road is a part of it. But, it's really a town square.

 

There were some houses in the way of extending XYZ road. No problem. Eminent Domain R Us is the unofficial motto of Cobb DOT who set out to buy or condemn said homes.

 

At least two, possibly more, homes were taken and the families who had lived in them for decades had to move.

 

As always, the decision to invoke eminent domain was not discussed or even approved by the Commissioners. The critical decisions are made by DOT DIrector Dimassimo. If it reaches the point where they have to go to court, the Commissioners vote to do it, always unanimous, no details, no discussion. These eminent domain cases are always in the Consent Agenda.

 

It didn't have to happen. The Town Square did not require extending XYZ road. The road extension just perfected the symmetry.

 

Cobb DOT routinely uses eminent domain to take property for sidewalk and trail projects. No discussion, no details, approve 5-0, consent agenda.

 

Source: Larry Savage, Cobb County