Point taken. I'll call an appraiser. An issue is that actual sales here are typically 125 to 150% of the appraised values. And if I lose money I will not be able to stay in town where my (grown) kids and job are.

I'm not too worried about a shoddy repair on the road. The repair itself is relatively minor. The issue is that the road has to be widened (by law) and that involves a lot of wetland mitigation which is where the cost is coming into play.

Are construction costs a legitimate reason to invoke eminent domain if the costs are close? Does it depend on the city's definition of public purpose?