Alders OK Lot Purchases, With Eminent Domain Option

The Board of Alders signed off on the city’s plans to acquire two tax-delinquent vacant Newhallville lots for $150,000 — or by eminent domain, if necessary — in a bid to create more parking for the future adult education site.

Local legislators took that vote Monday night during the latest regular bimonthly meeting of the full Board of Alders. The meeting took place in person in the Aldermanic Chamber on the second floor of City Hall.

The alders voted in support of the city’s bid to purchase 44 Brewster St. and 173 Ivy St. from landlord Brack Poitier for $150,000 in a so-called ​“friendly acquisition”. The now-approved legislative order also authorizes the Elicker Administration to ​“utilize any and all tools available to the City of New Haven including and up to eminent [domain] to take the property for school purposes.” (Click here to read the alder-approved legislative item in full.)

The two vacant and overgrown lots in question sit adjacent to the Farmington Canal Trail, right across the street from the future home of New Haven’s adult education center at 188 Bassett St. The city wants to turn these two lots into surface parking for the adult ed site once it’s up and running.

These two lots are also both currently wrapped up in a tax foreclosure lawsuit because of Poitier’s alleged failure to pay over $58,000 in back taxes dating back to 2013.

During various city board meetings and reviews of the proposed $150,000 land deal in the runup to Monday’s final aldermanic vote, city staffers and commissioners discussed how the city would like to purchase these properties in a ​“friendly” manner — but that it may also turn to taking these properties via eminent domain if the city fails to strike a fair deal with Poitier, who is a local construction contractor and who also chairs Hamden’s Planning & Zoning Commission.

Click here for a recent full story in the Independent about this land purchase-tax foreclosure-eminent domain dilemma involving these two vacant properties.

Reached for comment on Tuesday morning now that the alders have approved the property purchase with eminent domain caveat, Poitier declined to comment, and said that the city has to talk with his attorney about the ongoing negotiations.

He then added: ​“If they want to spend additional legal money trying to take my property without a fair offer, they can go right ahead and do it. They can start. But they have to have real justification of doing it.”