In Ongoing Pursuit of River Trail, Council to Employ Eminent Domain
With progress stalled for years, the council voted 5-3 to use eminent domain to acquire the right to build a Phoenixville section of the Schuylkill River Trail
After a lengthy debate, the borough council voted 5-3 on November 14 to condemn, via eminent domain, certain easements and rights of way on a property that's long stood in the way of its plans to expand the Schuylkill River Trail. The property, formerly a rail line along the French Creek Corridor, extends north across High and Fillmore Streets. The members who voted in the affirmative claimed that using eminent domain was a last resort. Borough manager E. Jean Krack said he attempted on multiple occasions to contact Valley Forge Railways, the owner of the parcel, but to no avail. “The railroad abandoned the property,” he said. Solicitor Andrew D.H. Rau added that the borough was at a “dead end with the property owner” and emphasized that …
Keith Jensen
10:51 pm on Friday, December 7, 2012
Even in New Jersey our Mayor and Council are having a similar affect. Here, our town's leadership decided to purchase a $2Million piece of land to allow a major developement to better occupy the land. Now our taxes increase. Your article here is so similar to our situation. Please comment if you see the similarities: http://fortlee.patch.com/articles/fort-lee-to-acquire-main-street-property-for-… more ›