New London Mayor Daryl Justin Finizio has yet to make a valid case as to why the city would be better off switching control of land on the Fort Trumbull peninsula to the city and his administration. Now he is pressing the council to meet an arbitrary deadline - before the Sept. 18 meeting of the Renaissance City Development Association - to make its decision whether to back his proposal.

Little has seemingly been done to advance the idea since Mayor Finizio announced June 19 that it was time to take from the development agency control of what happens at Fort Trumbull. Now the council is supposed to scramble, conduct a hearing and make its decision in under two weeks?

We don't see the need to rush. The mayor told the council he would like its backing and a clear policy decision before he sits down with the development agency at that Sept. 18 meeting. But there will be more meetings to come. There is nothing particularly momentus about this one, at least nothing the Finizio administration has shared.

As a candidate for mayor in 2011, Mr. Finizio called for the dissolution of the New London Development Corp. Many voters held the NLDC, and its board controlled by leaders who came largely from outside the city, in low regard. The agency was synonymous with the seizure of homes in the old neighborhood of Fort Trumbull to make way for redevelopment. In 2005, the NLDC and city prevailed when the U.S. Supreme Court ruled 5-4 that the seizure by eminent domain was constitutional. It was an empty victory, however, the decision widely criticized. Development plans never came to fruition.

Pushed by the mayor after his election, the NLDC changed its name to Renaissance City, and incorporated new members.

By now taking control of most the land (some is tied up with federal strings), the city can better move past the infamous eminent domain decision and control its future, argues Mayor Finizio.

Yet, we don't see how any of that increases the chances of getting something developed at Fort Trumbull and on the tax rolls. Meanwhile, in taking control, the city would be assuming liability for the properties, some of which still need environmental remediation. Development agencies can also sometimes tap government funds and tax credits not available to municipalities.

The council has a responsibility to press the administration for answers and then act in the best interests of the city, not out of emotion, or to fulfill a campaign promise or to meet a deadline of no substance.