From the Elmer Smith article today. Smith opposes the eminent domain reform, but in SP requiring surrounding properties to be blighted would prevent "cherry picking" where the RDA takes valuable properties that go to groups that may not be developing at the same pace as the private market:

"... [b]y next year, the city might be prohibited from acquiring the last 10 properties. A proposal in the state Senate, authored by Sen Jeffrey Piccola, R-Dauphin, would prohibit taking any property through eminent domain unless at least 51 percent of the surrounding properties are blighted.

Furthermore, if a bill that passed the U.S. House of Representatives yesterday becomes law, the city would lose all federal economic-development aid for two years if it used eminent domain to take any private property for transfer to another private owner for economic-development purposes."

I urge SP-adelphians to support the state and federal measures that will diminish cherry picking of valuable parcels that are going to be developed by the private market, conserving housing and development monies for the areas where the private market is not active.