An eminent domain hearing is scheduled for Thursday as Onondaga County continues to try to deal with a dispute over some property needed for the Micron project in the Town of Clay.
The county is attempting to gain control of the property of 91-year old Azalia King, who says the county promised she could stay there until she died. The Onondaga County Industrial Development Agency originally bought the property in 2005, but agreed to let King and her husband to live in the home until their deaths. Her husband died in 2015.
King’s family has filed a lawsuit against OCIDA for trying to evict her. The agency served King with an eviction notice in September. At the same time, the county started efforts to obtain the property through eminent domain.
County Executive Ryan McMahon said it’s impossible for the house to remain on property Micron is amassing to build a massive semiconductor chip making complex at the White Pine Commerce Park.
“It is a city,” McMahon said. “It's an industrial city being built, right? That is literally 16 to 18 months away from being right there. And so, it's not possible in the long term. Sure, in the short term, can we work out some things for flexibility and what not? Yes, it's not ideal. It's not ideal. But yes, but there is no, under no circumstance, we can have this mega campus and have a house there."
McMahon said the county has offered a deal to Kin’g family and that they are considering it.
"We have worked and put forward a comprehensive offer that we think is beyond fair to the family, that tries to address every type of concern that we can possibly try to address,” he said. “And I'm sorry, I'm sorry we're in this position. I really am. I don't want to be in this position. I apologize that we're in this position.”
McMahon said he’s hopeful the family will accept the offer so the project can move forward.
“And we hope that this will conclude this and there won't be necessary litigation in either direction moving forward,” he said.
McMahon said there is still no date for the groundbreaking, but suggests it could be the week before Christmas. Last week, Micron said in the Final Environmental Impact Statement that construction on the first of four fabrication facilities wouldn’t begin until mid-2026.
