Bath using eminent domain to buy privately owned downtown sidewalks

The city of Bath has approved using eminent domain to buy privately owned sidewalks in front of several downtown businesses.

The sidewalks, which are on Front Street near Elm Street, will be renovated as a part of a larger city project to improve pedestrian walkways. But as the project was being developed, local officials and the landlords were both surprised to learn that the private properties included some sections of the sidewalk.

After notifying the property owners and determining fair market value for the sidewalks, the Bath City Council unanimously approved using the eminent domain at its April 17 meeting . No one spoke for or against the taking during the meeting.

The city needs to own the sidewalks in order to renovate them and seek grants for the work, Misty Parker, the city’s director of economic and community development, told the BDN in March.

The property owners reviewed and approved the fair market values, as well as the process for assessing them, Parker said at the April 17 meeting.

The city will be paying the landlords between $929 and $8,076 for each section of sidewalk, according to the order.

Nine different sections of sidewalk will change hands, stretching from 141 to 190 Front St., according to the city. They range in size from 248 to 1,722 square feet.

The transfer of ownership has delayed the renovation project, Parker has said. The renovations, which will also include landscaping, are now set to start in the fall.

Jules Walkup is a Report for America corps member. Additional support for this reporting is provided by BDN readers.