Pleasant Grove says the city may exercise eminent domain because a freeway connector is being delayed by a local landowner.

Until the city can acquire all the land needed to build 2000 West, the project cannot go forward, said City Administrator Frank Mills.

The new five-lane road was designed to connect the Pleasant Grove Interstate 15 interchange by looping from 1200 E. State St. in American Fork to 700 N. State St. in Lindon. Construction is under way to complete the southern section of the road to Lindon, but negotiations are stalled for the section from American Fork.

An estimated $5.2 million in federal funds will pay for most of the project, and the city will buy the right of way on private land, Mills said. Because the city could lose the federal money if the project is delayed, it will begin construction on the Lindon end of the road immediately.

"Pleasant Grove is ready to start on the road and are going ahead," Mills said. "We will finish by the middle of October and then begin work on improving the intersection off of State Street this spring."

The city will continue to negotiate with the owner, the Smith family, for a time, he said.

"It just makes sense to have this road go through to State Street," Mills said. "If they still say 'no,' the only other choice is to step in and condemn the property and the owners will receive fair market value for their land based upon current appraisals."

Because the city has not been able to meet the financial conditions set by the Smith family, Stan Smith said they now refuse to work with Pleasant Grove.

The only way the road will be constructed is if they decide to sell their land, possibly to the Fusion Group, a private developer in the area, who would in turn work with the city, Smith said.

"The Smith family owns the land, and until they don't, there will be no road," said Smith. "We cannot deal with the city because they cannot deal straight up and pay what the ground is now worth, three times what it was, and every day the price goes up. I am a patient person and am in no hurry. The public needs the road, but it is not our responsibility to donate land."

Other landowners who have settled with the city were paid with credits toward future improvements needed for development, Mills said.

"In most instances, we were able to work with property owners allowing us to issue credits rather than come up with an outlay of cash," he said.

Three years ago the city approached the Smith family, who own over 3,900 feet of the property needed for the road. Smith said the city was offering credits of $100,000 per acre, but the family wanted to be paid for their land with cash, not with impact fees.

"We have had several discussions with the landowners of record and after offering an 'X' amount of money per acre, some just wanted more than that," said Pleasant Grove Mayor Michael Daniels. "On the Lindon side of this deal, the right of way was obtained for much less and so we went back explaining we were asking for raw land without current access.

"The Smiths said they would not do it," he said. "I am happy to deal with owners of record to get the job done, but many feel it has to be done their way or the highway."

This story appeared in The Daily Herald on page A1.