2-3234.05.

Trails; establishment; district; powers; findings.

If the district decides to establish the trail after following the procedure under section 2-3234.04, the district may acquire private real property, or an interest therein, to develop and maintain the trail by:

(1) Seeking to secure the written consent of the private real property owners affected by the trail to enter into negotiations and proceeding in good faith to reach negotiated agreements with such owners for the private real property, or an interest therein needed; or

(2) If all reasonable efforts to secure written consent and negotiated agreements to acquire private real property, or an interest therein, have failed, the district board may, by resolution adopted by a supermajority of the district board at a public meeting, elect to conduct a proceeding to determine whether to use the power of eminent domain to acquire such property. Such proceeding shall be a public hearing with general notice to the public and specific notice by registered mail to all private real property owners whose property would be subject to condemnation by eminent domain. The public hearing shall be held no sooner than forty-five days after the date the resolution is adopted. At the public hearing, the district board shall receive evidence on the question of whether to acquire private real property by eminent domain for the purpose of constructing the trail. The district board may, by vote of a supermajority of its members, elect to proceed with eminent domain to acquire such property if the district board finds, by clear and convincing evidence received at the public hearing, that all of the following criteria are met:

(a) Whether the trail has been publicized at a public hearing held in accordance with section 2-3234.04 in the area where the trail is planned and reasonable notice of the hearing was provided to affected private real property owners;

(b) Whether good faith attempts to negotiate agreements meeting the requirements of subdivision (1) of this section with the affected private real property owners have been made and have failed for some or all of the private real property that is determined by the district board to be necessary for the trail to be developed;

(c) Whether all other trail route alternatives have been considered, with an evaluation of the extent to which private real property may be involved and which may require the exercise of eminent domain for each alternate route;

(d) Whether in locating the proposed trail consideration was given to the directness of the route; potential benefit to communities and public facilities adjacent to the trail route; trail design and costs; safety to trail users, vehicle operators, and adjacent persons; and adverse impacts and intrusions upon private real property owners or persons using such property;

(e) Whether good faith attempts have been made to address the concerns of affected private real property owners regarding trail design, privacy, land protection, management, and maintenance; and

(f) Whether any development and management of the trail is designed to harmonize with and complement any established forest or agricultural plan for the affected private real property.