County, owner dig in over eminent domain on 701 Main St., Stroudsburg
“The legal battle over Monroe County’s condemnation of 701 Main St., Stroudsburg, will probably take longer than snaking through its crowded courthouse hallways on sentencing day.
Attorneys for the county and the building’s owner, Grist Mills, argued during a hearing Monday whether the county’s eminent domain claim over the property is lawful.
The commercial building, a couple of blocks from the courthouse, is part of the county’s strategy to bring relief to office space that the county claims hasn’t kept up with the county’s growth, jeopardizes security and has people in areas built for half the staff.
It’s also forced the district attorney, who’s run out of filing space, to line the walls of his conference room with stacks of legal papers.
The building was purchased by Grist Mills in January and condemned by the county in May to be taken through eminent domain.
Robert Eyer, attorney for the building’s owner, argued there was no need for the county to claim eminent domain over the building. He also said that the county abused its discretion in its claim and disputed the county’s assertion that Grist bought the property from under its feet.
“It’s the other way around. After my client did what he did, the county came in and exercised arbitrary discretion to take the property,” he said.”
Frank, Howard. Pocono Record 30 July 2013.