Glendale Rug Business Fights City Over Eminent Domain
GLENDALE, Colo. (CBS4) - A small business in Glendale is fighting the city to keep its property.
Authentic Persian & Oriental Rugs has been operating out of its home at 550 South Colorado Boulevard for 25 years. In recent years owner Nasrin Kholghy and her family have put in requests with the city to expand their business and develop the space around it, but those plans have never been approved.
"We wanted to build. We wanted to make it beautiful," Kholghy told CBS4.
Kholghy said the first plan they proposed, which was in 2007, included residential space. She says the city told them that wasn't allowed and so the family made changes. Eventually the city came to what Kholgy thought was a partnership decision.
"(They said) 'Instead of just doing your land, why don't we do the whole thing.' That sounded good, and we said okay," she said.
Last summer Kholghy said the city proposed a new, different plan that would push their business off to the outskirts of the project area.
The family walked away from that plan.
In April the city sent the family a notice that they would use eminent domain to push them out.
Kholghy's response to that? "Over my dead body," she said. "We're not giving up."
The family has filed a lawsuit.
On Tuesday the city plans to hold a public hearing on the use of eminent domain.
Glendale city officials declined CBS4's requests for interviews on this story.