Commissioners approved a resolution to use eminent domain to acquire portions of land from six property owners for five public utility projects in Johnston County. The land is needed for water and wastewater projects. Officials said they were either unable to make contact or unable to reach an agreement on the price with the property owners.
The properties include a 0.89 acre utility and access easement and 0.02 acre temporary construction easement for the 210 Wastewater Treatment Plant and Force Main Project from the William Douglas Parker Estate. The county estimates the value at $14,050.
A 2,571 square foot utility and access easement and 758 square foot temporary construction easement for the 358 West Hydraulics Water Project from W. Riley Horne and wife parcel with an estimated compensation of $1,250. A 487 square foot permanent utility and access easement for the same project is needed from Delphine D. Wilder with estimated compensation of $325.
The county will move forward with condemning a 5,202 square foot permanent easement from Charles Sims for the Buffalo Road Booster Pump Station Upgrade and Water Transmission Project. The county says the easement is valued at $5,400.
A 924 square foot permanent easement is needed from Billy E. Blackmon for work on the Ingrams Water Project. The county values the easement and compensation at $925.
A 10,271 square foot permanent utility and access easement, plus a 4,071 square foot temporary construction easement, for the Pine Level Sewer Force Main and Wastewater Pump Station improvement is needed from the Quinton Wall Estate. The value of the easement is still being finalized.
Commissioners agreed to move forward with forced acquisition to keep the projects on schedule. Officials pointed out they are not taking entire tracts of land, rather variable width utility easements adjacent to roadways.
Nothing says freedom like government taking over your land if you don’t want them to as long it’s for “the public good”.
Starting small, getting a footing and going from there..
They should have to pay more than fair market value.
Somewhere up the road the land owner will lose money on theses transactions.
Hey JoCo voted for these commissioners. You get what you vote for.
I’ve never understood the concept of eminent domain. So does anybody ever actually own land that they bought and paid for? These property OWNERS didn’t want to give up their land, but the government can just take it?? This is very, very wrong on so many levels.
Now you know how the American Indian felt. It’s only going to get worse!
Seems a little cheaper than it should be and would it be ok to use the government officials as targets when they are snooping around and taking folks land.