The endless story requires consistent public leadership to draft an ending acceptable to all.
Editorial: It's time to end the impasse over K Street mess
Either the city and Mohanna settle soon, or more aggressive action will be in order
Published 12:00 am PDT Thursday, September 6, 2007
Downtown business owner Moe Mohanna has offered the city of Sacramento something of an olive branch, a letter seeking settlement talks in a lawsuit involving a stalled downtown redevelopment deal. City Attorney Eileen Teichert and Mayor Heather Fargo should sit down with him personally and try to work through their differences.
There is a lot at stake, for both sides, as a brief recap will attest.
The city sued Mohanna earlier this year, because he refused to go forward with a land swap. The deal was supposed to kick-start redevelopment of the blighted 700 and 800 blocks of K Street. If the dispute is not resolved amicably between the parties, the city is in for a difficult legal battle and/or a high-profile, politically charged eminent domain fight.
Either of those alternatives is likely to be protracted and expensive. Neither will benefit the city. Meanwhile, the source of the dispute -- the continuing eyesore on two key blocks of K Street in downtown Sacramento -- falls further into blight.
