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FORT WORTH — The first three cases where the Tarrant Regional Water District used its eminent domain authority for the Trinity Uptown project are slated to be heard Nov. 24.
The hearings, in which a group of special commissioners appointed by a county-court-at-law judge determine a fair market value price for the property, will be at the Tarrant County Administration Building’s Burgundy conference room.Steve Christian, Trinity River Vision Authority property director, said the hearings are scheduled to be heard back-to-back. Trinity River Vision, the local entity overseeing the Trinity Uptown project, is a political subdivision of the water district.Once the special commissioners set a price, the water district can deposit the amount and take possession of the land. But both parties can still pursue a suit over the price and the merits of the case.Trinity River Vision offered $2.3 million for two tracts totaling 6.8 acres near 930 N. Henderson St. owned by Bernard and Jack Rubin and the Rubin Children Partnership.The Rubins own American Auto Salvage, which was moved more than two years ago. But the case is viewed as a test for how the water district would deal with property owners.In the second condemnation lawsuit, the water district filed suit for 0.565 acre at 841 N. Houston St. and 2.952 acres at 909 N. Main St. Both properties are owned by Texas Refinery Corp. and valued at $1.6 million, the Tarrant Appraisal District says. The water district also filed suit for 0.596 acre owned by Gabor Sztamenits, at 921. N. Henderson St. It was valued at $215,488, according to the appraisal district. The water district has also gone to court to acquire 0.454 acre owned by Sztamenits at 1854 White Settlement Road. The appraisal district values it at $128,189. At Wednesday’s Trinity River Vision meeting, J.D. Granger, the authority executive director, presented an annual project update showing that 50 property owners have been relocated and that demolition work continues. He also said the authority’s planners believe that they can design canals for the same price as an underground stormwater system. They hope to have the plan updated in early 2010.
Want to know more? The annual update will be available on the authority’s Web site later this week at www.trinityrivervision.org.
BILL HANNA, 817-390-7698
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