The Fulton County Board of Supervisors at its Monday, May 13, meeting authorized the use of eminent domain to obtain approximately 158 acres in the Hales Mills area. During the public comment period, Town of Johnstown resident Karen Fagan plead with the Board to reconsider its stance and instead support local agriculture. Dusten Rader/Express Editor

By DUSTEN RADER

Express Editor

JOHNSTOWN — Fulton County government has initiated eminent domain proceedings to acquire land for development.

The Board of Supervisors at its Monday, May 13, meeting authorized the Industrial Development Agency to initiate an eminent domain procedure law action to obtain approximately 158 acres in the Hales Mills area.

As part of the Fulton County Vision 2026 Development Strategy, officials seek to “address the public need for new housing and public recreational facilities to generate sales tax and improve the property tax base in the community.”

The strategy seeks to create the Hales Mills Primary Development Area in the Town of Johnstown. In the resolution, the land, owned by Robert Bowe, is described as “critical to the success” of the strategy.

The vote, 396-127, made by 19 supervisors, was a rare display of conflict. Out of the 19 voters, 6 opposed the resolution and spoke in dissent during discussion. Worthy of note is that one supervisor was absent and did not enter a vote.

City of Johnstown Supervisor John Callery, City of Gloversville Supervisor Greg Young, and Town of Bleecker Supervisor David Howard all vocally opposed the resolution.

Callery said he “strongly opposed” and called for further negotiations with the owner.

Young stated that he agreed with Callery and said it sets a “bad precedent.”

Howard called the resolution the “wrong way to go.”

During the public comment period, Town of Johnstown resident Karen Fagan plead with the Board to reconsider its stance and instead support local agriculture.

“I’m really not sure where I’m seeing checks and balances here,” Fagan said. “… It wasn’t really the ideal spot because you didn’t have the land. Eminent domain shouldn’t be used to take land from a farmland to complete your building project. … We’re in a beautiful agricultural county — I love it here. And, for those of you who might not know me, my family has had a farm in this area forever. … It’s the beauty of this area, with its wide open spaces, the green fields that we drive through, that is the asset and the appeal of this area. When you take that away, when you bull doze that under, it is gone forever. I’d like to see some energy and enthusiasm in this drive, to find out what we can do to help the farmers.”

The resolution states that in accordance with Sections 852 and 858 of New York state General Municipal Law, the IDA is authorized to acquire property under Eminent Domain Law “for its corporate purposes.”