OAKLAND / City forces out 2 downtown businesses / Action follows high court ruling on eminent domain — The beginning of the end for property rights.
Last week’s U.S. Supreme Court ruling approving a Connecticut city’s plan to take private land by eminent domain may seem far away.
But to John Revelli, whose family has operated a tire shop near downtown Oakland for decades, the implications hit home on Friday.
A team of contractors hired by the city of Oakland packed the contents of his small auto shop in a moving van and evicted Revelli from the property his family has owned since 1949.
“I have the perfect location; my customers who work downtown can drop off their cars and walk back here,” said Revelli, 65, pointing at the nearby high- rises. “The city is taking it all away from me to give someone else. It’s not fair.”
The city of Oakland, using eminent domain, seized Revelli Tire and the adjacent property, owner-operated Autohouse, on 20th Street between Telegraph and San Pablo avenues on Friday and evicted the longtime property owners, who have refused to sell to clear the way for a large housing development.
In reference to Oakland, it is a town going nowhere. … Does not matter whether ppl are going to live here. … The question is does companies want to do business in Oakland? … Is the education system up to par? … Do ppl want to shop in Oakland?
###
John sounding more like Pat Buchanan everyday. The question is does he eat like Pat Buchanan!
###
Pat, there’s a difference between public use and public purpose. Just because something generates more tax money, that doesn’t make it OK to take away fromt he original owners. I would even include in this the minority owners of ‘slum houses’.