KELO

Rell Forces Withdrawal Of Eviction Notices

Gov. M. Jodi Rell forced the New London Development Corp. on Friday to rescind eviction notices served on residents whose homes were taken by eminent domain. The city's development arm buckled under pressure by Rell, who could conceivably hold back state money necessary for the city's Fort Trumbull economic development project. But the dispute re-energized calls for a statutory moratorium on land-takings until the General Assembly can agree on how to permanently limit the use of eminent domain - suddenly a potent political issue for the 2006 gubernatorial and legislative races. House Republicans launched a petition drive Friday to force a special session on eminent domain, a possibility since the U.S. Supreme Court upheld the Fort Trumbull takings in June. Special sessions are typically called by either the governor or the legislature's top leaders, but legislators also can petition themselves into session by gathering signatures from a majority of both chambers. Rell has refused to call a special session without a consensus on how to curb eminent domain, but she supports the petition drive....

Agency to take back New London eviction notices

Some homeowners in New London will stay in their homes while the state debates eminent domain laws. The New London Development Corporation is backing off on eviction notices it sent to homeowners in the Fort Trumbull neighborhood. Because of those notices, there's been another call for a mandatory, state-wide, moratorium on eminent domain and a call for the dismissal of the New London Redevelopment Corporation. Without stepping foot in New London, Gov. Rell sent a very clear message to the New London Development Corporation. It was delivered by her state development commissioner, James Abromaitis. "Certainly the Governor is more than displeased with what's been going on and certainly the letter that they sent, unbeknownst to everybody, was pretty near the straw that broke the camel's back," Abromaitis said....

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