Brooks and Bowles face off in Davenport

Davenport Mayor Charlie Brooke vetoed a city council agreement Monday to condemn private land that would help a developer, his opponent in an earlier mayoral race, build more than 160 condos.

Aldermen voted 6-4 last week to condemn land that would give developer Niky Bowles, a frequent critic of the mayor, an easement to install 620 feet of sewer line to her Cypress Point project at 53rd Street and Eastern Avenue.

However, the council's vote was unconstitutional and violated the owner's 5th Amendment right to property, Mayor Brooke said in a statement Monday.

The mayor said a lawsuit filed last week by neighboring land owner Precision Builders Inc. against Cypress Point Developers LLC estimates damages could total up to $1 million, without attorney fees and court costs.

Mayor Brooke and Ms. Bowles, who ran for mayor during the last election, are often at odds during city meetings.