SB7 – AN ACT TO AMEND TITLES 10 AND 29 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO REAL PROPERTY ACQUISITION AND EMINENT DOMAIN passed the Delaware State Senate yesterday with a 19 voting yes, 1 not voting and 1 voting absent. The two amendments passed 20 yes, 1 absent.
According to The News Journal, Wilmington City Economic Director Joe Di Pinto is a little pissed, but Senator Venables said it best when trying to work out a compromise, “I tried to talk with business representatives about compromise amendments, but we always came back to [the impression] that the government was taking your property for public use.”
WDEL reports that a city attorney said that eminent domain was only a lever in the process and won’t be used. Well, the attorney got that right because now the city can’t use eminent domain to further the ends of developers on the Christina River Waterfront in Wilmington. (Note, there was a video at the WDEL site, but I couldn’t get it to work on my Mac).
Gov. Markell is reported to say that he will sign the bill if it gets to his desk.