Eminent Domain gone crazy?

[Kevin_Reilly]

City Eyes Olympic Club for Redevelopment
Ryan Kim, Chronicle Staff Writer
Saturday, April 1, 2006

Mayor Gavin Newsom along with the San Francisco Board of Supervisors announced today plans to use eminent domain to redevelop the venerable Olympic Club property that sits next to Lake Merced. In a bold move to alleviate its budget crisis, the City plans to take over the two golf courses and surrounding land. “We will turn this property into an example of a diversified Urban Village.” said Newsom.  Working with various developers, Newsom unveiled plans that include 5,000 new home sites along with 2,000 condominiums.  Also included is low cost housing for up to 5,000 undocumented workers, in housing designed as a transit center.

Acquisition based on values in the assessed tax roles will cost the city close to $100 million, Newsom stated.  However developer rights could potentially bring close to $3 billion. “This will allow us to respond to the needs of the people of the City and County of San Francisco” said district 7 supervisor Sean Elsbernd. “After looking over recent eminent domain cases, we have a strong opinion that this taking of private property is in the best public interest.”

When asked about opposition from the Olympic Club, Elsbernd stated “recent Supreme Court rulings have shown that we will prevail.”

Olympic club spokesman declined to comment on the takeover plans.

Edited to point out that this was in fact an April Fools story

[Dan_Callahan]

April Fool's(?)

[Patrick_Mucci]

Kevin Reilly,

"What truth there be in jest"

I had a discussion with several members of a club in the Metro-NY area today.

They stated, unequivically, that if the decision went North Hills's way, that their course would be taken by the town it resides in, in a heartbeat.

My guess would be that this would gain epidemic proportions, for what better land is there for development in the densely populated, greater New York area ?

[Chris Kane]

Patrick, do you think there is any prospect of golf club's which could conceivably be under threat forming some sort of legal fighting fund, like the tobacco industry has done?

[Patrick_Mucci]

Chris Kane,

Deepdale has chosen to be legally pro-active.

I think each club will have to mount its own defense.

I don't see a financial collaboration or confederation amongst clubs.

[Ted Curtis]

Look out here folks -- eminent domain may be coming to a course near you, thanks in part to a recent U.S. Supreme Court case in which the court ruled that a city may use its Constitutional eminent domain powers to take homes and land in order to build a new, renovated downtown district.

I can see it now: A Home Depot where Pebble Beach's 18th used to sit.

They paved paradise and put up a parking lot...

[Voytek Wilczak]

Yep, the Supremes blew it, leaving it up to the states instead of putting a stake in the ground.

They failed to fully realize that private property ownership is the cornerstone of this democracy, worthy of the Court's protection.

As a result of this ruling, local activist politico yahoos will abuse the spirit of Eminent Domain, and by doing so will undermine (or affirm?) the very principle this country was built upon (stealing the land from the Indians).

[redanman]

Maybe it's time for clubs to stockpile nuclear weapons?  

This has always been my interpretation of the "Right to keep and bear arms", the feds have 'em so why not the Olympic Club "militia"?

Actually this will probably be a good case to overturn the ridiculous  original ruling.

Like S.F. needs more population.

[Rick Shefchik]

Long after Iraq, Katrina and the NSA spy flap are are fading memories, the makeup of the Supreme Court will continue to affect people's lives and liberty. Bush doesn't look so hot right now, but had Kerry won, private golf clubs would be in a far more precarious position than they already are.

Sorry to get political. I know the fate of well-off people and their golf courses doesn't necessarily rise to the level of crisis in the eyes of many, but that's just the point: Put to a public vote, Pine Valley might well become a muni tomorrow. After that, who knows what other redistribution schemes a well-meaning politician or jurist might come up with? My hunch is that Ruth Bader Ginsburg and David Souter never saw a rich white guy they didn't secretly yearn to fleece...and who gets to determine what "rich" means?

[Patrick_Mucci]

The ruling makes sense for urban areas.

The problem lies in its application.

"Many's the slip twixt the cup and the lip"

[peter_p]

The Deepdale eminent domain dispute was featured on The Daily Show yesterday and this website didn't make the show.
What gives?   This links to the piece. http://www.comedycentral.com/shows/the_daily_show/videos/nate_corddry/index.jhtml Click on 'course correction' toward the left side.

[Steve_ Shaffer]

For those of us(me, in particular) whose computer sound is not functioning, the Daily Show's Nate Corddry  look at the Deepdale Golf Club situation appeared on The Daily Show last night (May 3), which means it replays today (May 4) at 10 a.m., 2 p.m. and 8 p.m. on Comedy Central

[Chris Pike]

Everyone on GCA should be required to watch that Daily Show segment.  It is absolutely hilarious!