Landowner seeks compensation for Cornwall bypass expropriation

A Cornwall couple wantsa judge to decide how much the province should pay forfarm land expropriated from them to make way for the Cornwall bypass.

Brian and Dora MacKinley filed the request Monday in Charlottetown Supreme Court. They're seeking more than double the $134,100 paid to them by the province for eight hectares (21acres) of land onCornwall Road.

The property, expropriated in October of last year,waspart of a larger parcel of farm landstill owned by the MacKinleys, according to court documents. In March, they filed notice that they intended to seek further compensation fromthe Department of Transportation, as allowed under the Expropriation Act.

The Cornwall couple contends that the appraisal for the eight-hectare parcel shouldhave beenhigher. They also want the province to build an access road for farm equipment to get to their remaining land, and to perform any environmental work needed to repair damage.

Documents filed in court cite a third-party appraisal that placestotal cost to the MacKinleys for the loss of their land at $340,664.This includesloss of income from renting the land to other farmers, and the loss of a potential building lot on the Cornwall Road.

The province tells CBCNews that court action is "non-adversarial."

The province and the landowners have reached a negotiated settlement, which will be reviewed by a judge, according toBrian Thompson, director of environmental managementat the Department of Transportation.

"We agreed to go to court to have an independent review to ensure it's fair and transparent," said Thompson.

When reached by phone Wednesday, Dora MacKinleydeclined to discuss the matter.

"It's up to the courts and the lawyers," she said.

The MacKinleyproperty is located across the road from anotherparcel obtained by the province that was the subject of a court battle.In that case, the courts awarded more money to the land owner.

A hearing on the MacKinley case is slated for Friday in Charlottetown Supreme Court.

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