Guilford eminent domain
battle

Guilford (WTNH) - A Guilford business is going one on one with the state in a land battle.

A&W Sanitation doesn't want the state to seize its property, and turn it into a parking lot. So the owner reached out to News Channel 8 for help.

In fact our cameras were there this morning when state workers showed up to do some testing and found an impressive roadblock in their way.

Those state workers could have forced their way onto the property -- but they backed off. But the eminent domain fight is far from over.

When Mark Larkins, of A&W Sanitation, got word the DOT was sending a crew to do some environmental tests on his property this morning, he wasn't going to let that happen.

"I took my trucks, and I parked them all the way across the front," he said.

The workers left without a fight but knowing a battle was on. Larkins is trying to protect his family's property and his business A&W Sanitation. The state wants to turn the place into a parking lot for the Guilford Train Station and it's threatening to take the land by eminent domain.

"We don't want to stand in the way," he said. "We'd rather just move on and let the state have the piece of land as long as the Larkins family is made whole."

What he means is he doesn't want his family to lose any money. He wants a fair price for the land and he wants to find another place in Guilford for his business.

The problem is that options are limited.

News Channel 8 sat down with Guilford First Selectman Carl Balestracci who's kind of stuck in the middle.

"The one thing we don't want, is to have a situation where a state agency comes in and just takes someone's property," Balestracci said.

But, Balestracci says expanding the parking lot is in the town's best interest. "Every single day we have more cars parked in the present parking lot than we have spaces for."

He's urging the state to be patient and Larkins to be flexible.

Velardi: "At this point, are you hopeful that this is going to work out?"

Larkins: "Oh definitely. I didn't want it to come to what it came to this morning."

The DOT says it's agreed to give Larkins a reasonable amount of time to find a new home for his business.

Reasonable hasn't been defined. But it's no secret the state wants to get moving on this project.

News Channel 8 will stay on top of things as this latest eminent domain battle plays out.