Board awards former owners of old York County prison $65,000 in eminent domain case
“York’s Redevelopment Authority must pay $65,000, plus $4,000 in costs, to the former owners of the long-closed York County prison on Chestnut Street, a court-appointed panel has ruled.
The ruling by the three-member Board of Viewers comes after a hearing on July 15 at which the board heard testimony from witnesses for both the York Redevelopment Authority and the property’s former owners, John E. and Joyce E. Gearhart.
“We are shocked, extremely disappointed and believe that number is incredibly too low,” Eric Gearhart, the Gearharts’ son said in an email Friday. He declined further comment on the board’s report, which was filed with the Court of Common Pleas on Aug. 26.
The board ruled that the prison has a fair market value of $292,000 but that it would cost $229,536 to remove alleged lead-based paint and asbestos and an underground tank.”
Haber, Gary. YDR Local News 5 September 2014.