Van Gundy’s Ampco Inc., a full service scrap facility that has been in operation for 77 years, had sold its existing six acres to the city to allow for a roadway for the city. According to Dean Van Gundy, owner of the scrap yard, there was an understanding with the Grand Junction Planning Commission that the scrap yard would take slightly more than one acre adjacent to their original site. The decision to sell the land to the city came as the city alluded to the potential for eminent domain if Van Gundy did not sell the property. From there the company was in the process of purchasing an additional five acres next to their original site, which included a rail spur and close proximity to the highway system.
Van Gundy estimates that the company had already spent around $200,000 in earnest money, due diligence and engineering work on the site. However, according to Van Gundy, within the past week after the city’s Planning Commission okayed the move with a conditional use permit, the Grand Junction City Council voted to rezone the land from industrial to commercial, essentially prohibiting the company from moving to the new location.
Adding to the problems, Van Gundy says that his scrap yard has to vacate its existing facility by Aug. 1 or face significant daily fines. Meanwhile, the company has a significant amount of material and equipment on the site that it needs to move.
With the sudden change of direction by the city, according to press reports, the company has halted taking in scrap material.
While Van Gundy has contacted a number of attorneys, including one who specializes in eminent domain cases, a number of scrap yards in the area joined Van Gundy in a show of support by going to City Hall.