BREAKING: Town officially claims eminent domain over Capri Motor Inn

The Town of Hempstead has officially claimed eminent domain over the Capri Motor Inn property in West Hempstead.

At a morning meeting on May 21,  the board accepted the report from Justice Anthony Marano, former chief administrator of Nassau County District Court who served as special hearing officer for the proceedings, that found the town can move forward with the eminent domain procedure.

Marano asserted that "termination of a public nuisance will serve a public purpose." The validity of public purpose is a key part of eminent domain procedure — the law states that the government can't take over a private business without a legitimate public use.

Turning the motel property into a recreational facility, which is the town's plan, would be a "substantial upgrade for the community," Marano's report also states.

The board also accepted the environmental assessment done by the State Environmental Quality Review Act, or SEQRA, which identified "no potentially significant impacts" and stated that the town's takeover of the private business would result in an "overall community benefit."

Within the next 90 days, the town will enter negotiations with L&S Realty, the owners of Capri, to determine the value of the motel property at 434 Hempstead Tpke.