Real Estate & Property Law

Franklin, Vermont Border Crossing

By Alan Ackerman

Burlington Free Press

MONTPELIER -- The House unanimously approved a resolution Wednesday urging the federal government to back off on a plan to take farmland to expand a border crossing at Morses Line in the town of Franklin.

The nonbinding resolution, previously approved by the Senate, calls on the Department of Homeland Security to reconsider plans to take by eminent domain land from farmers Clement and Elizabeth Rainville.

Rep. Norm McAllister, R-Highgate, said taking 5 acres would put the farm in jeopardy at a time when the state is at risk of losing some 200 farms to economic troubles this year. The border crossing, he noted, is not heavily used.

In a previous posting a local Vermont paper commented about the objection to the five acre parcel being taken.

The Burlington Free Press has now chimed in, commenting that the loss of five acres may destroy a farm.  As this may be true, that is an issue of valuation and not an issue of public use.

Full post as published by National Eminent Domain Blog on May 20, 2010 (boomark / email).