By A.J. Hazarabedian
More than two dozen homes could be acquired to build a new middle school in Southwest Fresno. The middle school would be a first in the area, ending a 30 year long debate surrounding the issue.
Fresno’s ABC30 reports that the Superintendent of the Fresno Unified School District, Michael Hansen, gave a presentation recently on a plan to create the area’s first middle school where Carver Academy is located. “To accomplish this plan, more than two dozen homes next to the school will have to be purchased and then demolished,” says the article.
Taking these homes to build the school would be considered a public use, and therefore the homes could be taken by eminent domain.
Eminent domain is the power of local, state or federal government agencies to take private property for “public use” so long as the government pays “just compensation”. The government can exercise its power of eminent domain even if the owner does not wish to sell his or her property.
The article, “Middle school in Southwest Fresno would be first,” states that the district Superintendent “hopes to have this middle school built by 2013.” It will go to vote this week.