Highland Board Of Supervisors Considers Use Of Eminent Domain

Monterey, VA – The Highland County Board of Supervisors voted Tuesday to proceed with preparations for declaring their right of eminent domain in the matter of the McDowell trash compactor site. County Attorney Melissa Dowd explains how this matter has developed up to now.

“The McDowell trash compactor site which is on the property owned by Mr. Robert Eggleston, and was formerly owned by Curtis Wood; and the county had a five year lease with that property and that will expire I believe before the end of this year” says Dowd. “At this point Mr. Eggleston has made it public that he does not wish to have the trash compactor site on his property.”

The amount of land in question is about eight tenths of one acre. The rest of the land occupied by the trash compactor is already owned by the county. Ms. Dowd goes on to explain the process of condemnation.

“The County’s obligated to either relocate the trash compactor site, or the County has the option of proceeding through eminent domain” says Dowd. “The requirements for proceeding under eminent domain and condemnation are that this be a public necessity and that it be for a public purpose. One of the steps in the process is to get an appraisal which has already been ordered and will be completed of the property to determine fair market value for the petition for condemnation.”

In the absence of Supervisor David Blanchard, Supervisors Robin Sullenberger and Jerry Rexrode approved a motion to proceed with a public hearing on this matter at their next meeting on Tuesday, August 16. In other business, Supervisor Rexrode brought up the matter of lighting the school parking lot.

“From the beginning [that] the sidewalk project went in, we wanted to look at obtaining lighting for the school parking lot” says Rexrode. “We had two engineers come up and they sent back some proposals; I feel we have the money to do it.”
The Board approved a motion to go forward with putting up additional lighting for the school parking lot, to be completed in conjunction with the construction of the portion of the sidewalk project that runs adjacent to the lot.