Misuse of eminent domain

The C.C. Times ran an interesting editorial today that should help pressure the Council on the wisdom of planting a parking garage and new retail stores in Civic Park. ... Times editors, while coming out strong for support of a new library, counseled City leaders to do away with the issue of eminent domain for the beautiful Casa Cristina. "The city either should alter its plans and use the park space or offer the landowner a substantial buyout package," the Times editors' opined. ... No, that's not really the good part. The light in this editorial comes in form of a critique of the design that puts a monster garage and retail stores in the park. ... From where we sit, if the Council wants to bring the growing ranks of bond detractors on board, it needs to do a lot more than slide the library further into our open space. For a start, it needs to stop fooling around with the Maxwell/Heidt family on what it really intends for Casa Cristina, and it needs to go back to the drawing board for a design that's more park, less parking. ...