Residents face eviction in eminent domain case

NEW LONDON, Conn. – City officials voted Monday night to evict residents who refused to leave their riverfront homes, signaling that the end may be near in an eminent domain dispute that reached the U.S. Supreme Court last year.

The City Council approved the action 5-2. The city attorney will now go to court to seek removal of the remaining two families and obtain the properties in the Fort Trumbull neighborhood, a process that could take three months.

A lawyer for the families said they are considering continuing their battle.

The city has been trying for a decade to redevelop the once-vibrant neighborhood at the point where the Thames River joins the sea. Seven homeowners challenged the city’s plans to seize the property and build a hotel, convention center and upscale condominiums, saying eminent domain can’t be used to make way for private development.

But the Supreme Court ruled 5-4 last year to uphold the city’s right to take the homes, saying municipalities have broad power to do so in favor of private development to generate tax revenue.

Since then, five of the homeowners have settled with the city and agreed to leave.

The vote came five days after a settlement deadline. One resident agreed to a settlement just minutes before Monday’s meeting began, The Day of New London reported.

The holdouts will consider asking the state to pull funding for the development, said Scott Bullock, a lawyer for the residents.