Plano City Council unanimously approved the move July 26, which allows DART to force a sale of private property for public use. DART officials asked to use eminent domain to acquire the 28,831-square-feet of property after negotiations had reached an impasse between the company and the landowner.
“We pride ourselves in our ability to negotiate with property owners and trying to reach an agreement with them. We wouldn't be here if we didn't think we had finished negotiations with this property owner,”DART project manager Gregg Althoff said at the meeting. “He made it quite clear that our appraisal was not a number that he thought was appropriate.”
Following an initial offer by DART in April, officials said the owner counter-offered with an amount twice as high as the proposed amount and refused to negotiate further. DART said the land is necessary for completion of the Silver Line, a 26-mile commuter rail that will connect Plano to the Dallas Fort Worth International Airport.
DART announced in July the project had been delayed to 2024. The Silver Line will include 10 stations along its planned route, including the Shiloh Road and 12th Street stations in Plano.
DART also requested permission to enact eminent domain on a property located at 901 10th Street but was told by council to continue negotiating with the property’s owner until the Sept. 27 council meeting.
More info on the Silver Line project can be found here.
