It’s Called Democracy and There Are Times It Works
Despite the snow, a capacity crowd showed up Monday night at the Valley Park City Hall for the meeting of the Board of Aldermen. And why not? These last few meetings have had the entertainment value of a wrestling match — the citizens against the government.
The wrestling has been about possible development at the southwest corner of Vance Road and Highway 141. The mayor and a majority of the aldermen have wanted to form a redevelopment corporation. The formation of such a corporation could lead to eminent domain being used against the current property owners.
At the meeting two weeks ago, a woman pointed out that some of these property owners have been in business for years. “How dare you threaten them!” she shouted. Another speaker said, “Mr. Mayor, it’s a matter of trust. Our group doesn’t trust you.” The mayor was in a feisty mood himself. “I hate to tell you, but you’re not the majority of the citizens in Valley Park. You might be the majority in this room, but not in Valley Park,” he said.
At the end of that meeting, the board decided to postpone the vote on the corporation. “We’ve been putting this off for eight weeks, we can put it off for 10,” said the mayor.
I wrote about that meeting and concluded the column this way: “The crowd filed out. Another partial victory. They can’t kill the beast, but they held him at bay again. He’s still out there, though, just on the other side of the door.”
Had I made a wager on this, I would have bet on the beast.
I would have been wrong. Monday night’s meeting was like something out of Charles Dickens. It was as if the Spirits of Christmases Past, Present and Future had made a midnight visit to the aldermen and the mayor. Perhaps the Spirit of Elections Future was in the group, as well.
We are dropping the idea of a redevelopment corporation, said Mayor Jeffery Whitteaker.
Say what? I looked around for Thomas Cunningham. He has been the special redevelopment counsel for the city, the legal mind behind the redevelopment corporation. His work has been paid for, by the way, by QuikTrip, which has expressed an interest in developing the corner in question. Because of this financial arrangement, Cunningham has been viewed with much distrust by the citizens. He was not there Monday night.
Alderman Dan Adams spoke. He has been a voice — and a strange one — for eminent domain. Without eminent domain, property owners could set their own price, he has said, as if that were an argument that would convince the skeptics. Property owners set their own price? Oh, no!
Monday night, Adams seemed remorseful, resigned. The redevelopment corporation was never intended to take anybody’s property, he said. It is very clear that the people don’t want eminent domain, he said. “I heard what I heard. I’m wise enough to know that.”
Alderman Mike Pennise, a crowd favorite and an opponent of eminent domain, then suggested that perhaps the board should study the notion of flat-out forbidding eminent domain for private development.
Why just study it? asked Adams. Why not pass a bill tonight?
Somebody asked about state law. Wouldn’t such a bill run afoul of state law?
Not at all, said city attorney Eric Martin. He explained that state law speaks to public improvements like roads and hospitals. Valley Park could legally forbid eminent domain for private development, said Martin, who was formerly a supporter of the redevelopment corporation. “The area right now is a hodgepodge screaming out for development,” he once said about the corner at Vance and 141.
And so the board voted to forbid eminent domain for private development.
“Thank you,” somebody in the crowd shouted. “Thank you!”
I sat there stunned. This was like watching democracy. As we filed out, I found myself next to Barbara Prater. She has been a regular at the meetings. I congratulated her on the citizens’ success.
“It’s the American spirit at its best,” she said. “Stand up and be counted.”
Somebody else came up. “We slayed the beast,” he said.
ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH
12/19/2007