A federal court has slapped down an attempt by the town of Johnston, Rhode Island, to use eminent domain to seize a vacant lot slated for affordable housing development. The property in question is a 31-acre site owned by several members of the Santoro family, through their company SCLS Realty, LLC. The Santoro family had invoked a recently passed state law that allowed developers to build larger projects than what local zoning codes allow, provided they include below-market-rate affordable units. In March, the town passed a resolution creating its own bespoke process for taking the land via eminent domain. "Because eminent domain is an inherent attribute of sovereignty, a municipality may exercise that power only to the extent the General Assembly has delegated it by statute."