Jul. 2--In the end, the neighborhood and property rights were both winners in the case of a South Side property that the city had threatened to obtain through eminent domain. And the credit for the happy ending goes to everyone involved.

In a statement released this week, Milwaukee Ald. James Witkowiak said he was asking officials to no longer pursue forcing a south side landowner to sell his property to the city, which in turn would have sold it to the owners of the neighboring Pete's Fruit Market, which planned to expand into the space.

Witkowiak's heart was in the right place: He -- and many neighbors -- wanted something on the property other than the nightclub that owner Rafael Cetina had originally planned. Cetina says the family now plans to develop the land as retail space. And Ted Tsidiritis, operator of the fruit market, says his family will have to put its expansion plans on hold but "we wish the Cetinas luck." That's a class response.

So Witkowiak and the neighbors should get what they want while Cetina retains the right to do something with the property he owns. What we and many others objected to was an overreaching of city authority to benefit another property owner. We're glad to see that the matter has been resolved without city coercion.

What limits should there be on city eminent domain proceedings? To be considered for publication as a letter to the editor, e-mail your opinion to the Journal Sentinel editorial department. Please see letters guidelines.

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