Salt Lake County may condemn 2 houses

The Salt Lake County Council is threatening to use eminent domain to condemn two homes near the South Towne Expo Center.

The two houses sit on the corner of 9400 South and State Street, the proposed site of a parking lot that patrons at the expo center will share with Real Salt Lake fans.

"Is this project worthy of eminent domain?" Council Chairman Cort Ashton asked. "Would we wield that sword if we had to?"

Not unless it is the "last resort," Councilman David Wilde answered. He was one of three council members to vote against the use of eminent domain, along with Michael Jensen and Mark Crockett. The Council voted 6-3 to send a letter to the homeowners threatening condemnation.

Councilman Joe Hatch, a Democrat, criticized the three Republican dissenters for being "trapped in an ideological box."

"Their refusal to even consider eminent domain actually costs taxpayers money," Hatch said.

Mayor Peter Corroon said the two homeowners are willing sellers, and the letter threatening condemnation will give them a tax break.

The county could build the parking garage on land just to the south, but that would require moving a cell phone tower, which would cost $98,000, said Doug Willmore, the county's chief executive officer.

Plus, keeping the parking garage where it is planned would bring increased revenue to the county, because Real Salt Lake fans would be able to park at the garage. The soccer team's proposed stadium in Sandy will be on the same block as the parking structure.

In 2005, the Legislature gave the county $22 million for a new parking structure for the Sandy expo center. Willmore said the site for the parking garage was chosen before Real Salt Lake picked a plot of land nearby to build a massive soccer stadium.

"Soccer stadium or not, we determined this was the best place for the lot," Willmore said.

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