UPDATE: Skippack Township clarifies position
By DAVID HARE

SKIPPACK TWP. — Supervisors on Wednesday approved an easement for the Skippack Township Walking Trail, setting the stage for negotiations with a resident who owns property along the trail.

Chris Eckerd, who owns property along Perkiomen Creek Road, said he now hoped to reach an agreement for the strip of land along the road.

Supervisors chairman Mark Marino said the easement needed for the walking trail would be about 160 feet in length, and 18 to 20 feet wide.

Eckerd said the township had lead him to believe they wanted to condemn roughly 30,000 square feet of his land for the Biltmore Estates, a housing development of T.H. Properties. In the past few weeks, Eckerd has used a personal Web site condemning the township’s use of eminent domain for what he said was for the benefit of THP.

Marino and township solicitor Jill Zimmerman told Eckerd that the township was only interested in acquiring the easement for the walking trail.

“We can’t allow one little sliver of ground to stop a project for the entire township,” Marino said. “The township is not condemning anyone’s property for a developer.”

Eckerd said he was reacting to a letter from Zimmerman, dated April 26, 2007, in which she said, “a key portion of this walking trail is planned to traverse a small portion of your property.”

Zimmerman’s letter went on to say, “The area needed to construct the trail is approximately 30,000 square feet.”

Moreover, the letter the said, “if you do not wish to enter into an agreement to sell this property to the Township, the Township will have no alternative but to exercise its power of eminent domain to obtain the required walking trail area.”

Zimmerman said on Wednesday that the letter was sent without Marino’s knowledge. She also said she’d retract the letter, and draft a new one to Eckerd clarifying the township’s position.

Eckerd said he’d wait to see the letter before commenting any more on the matter. He said Wednesday night he was planning to meet with his attorney the next morning.

Marino said THP’s interest in Eckerd’s 30,000 square feet of property was part of a complex land swap whereby the developer needs to compensate Evansburg State Park for roughly 30,000 square feet; the park is losing that much land to THP due to intersection improvements at Evansburg Road and Route 73 associated with the Biltmore Estates.

In comments directed to Eckerd, Marino said, “You are under no obligation to sell anything to THP.”

WHAT WAS HAPPENING PREVIOUSLY:
Skippack is in Montgomery County. All around Skippack where farms once stood, now planted and plopped development grow in their own rows like macabre cornfields.

Now to add insult to injury, one man is being threatened with eminent domain for private gain. And yes, if it walks like a duck and talks like a duck, well then it's a duck.... It is so very Coatesville vs. Saha Farm. Here read about it, and if you can help these people DO. If you live in Montgomery County, you should protest this because quite frankly, you could be next.

If eminent domain is in town, no one is safe:

Change Skippack:

Attention Skippack residents and those living in Montgomery County:
I am not running for office.
I simply want to live in peace and enjoy the property that I work hard to maintain like every other AMERICAN CITIZEN!

The Skippack Township Board of Supervisors have threatened me with EMINENT
DOMAIN because I won’t sell TH Properties part of my land.

TH Properties and their “Biltmore” development in Skippack Village needs my land to ultimately make up for lost Evansburg State Park property when they widen the intersection of Rt. 73 and Forty Foot Road. Keep in mind, my land is nowhere near this site. I am located on the opposite end of the township just off the Perkiomen Creek!!

I believe they are misleading the public in trying to make you believe this action is for their horse trail system. I believe TH Properties cannot complete their development without my land- Otherwise why is Skippack Township trying to intimidate me to sell my property to THP?

It appears to me the Skippack Board of Supervisors will stop at noting to help TH Properties build their development. If there is no way around this and Skippack Township makes good on their threat to use EMINENT DOMAIN against me, YOUR TAX DOLLARS will be used to FIGHT ME!

EMINMENT DOMAIN FOR PRIVATE DEVELOPMENT IS JUST PLAIN WRONG!

Why can’t THP dedicate a part of their land for the land lost in road widening? My guess is it’s easier and costs less to CRUSH the little guy.

The following are the names of the Skippack Board of Supervisors:

Mark Marino, Chairman (Up for re-election this year - Michael Marino is his father)
Mary Beth LaBelle, Vice Chair
Jeanene Friel
William Parkins, Jr. (also up for re-election this year)
Timothy Moran

If this gets to Eminent Domain and Skippack Township is victorious, EMINENT DOMAIN will be widespread in Montgomery County! WE NEED CHANGE IN SKIPPACK AND MONTGOMERY COUNTY!

I intend to make public the names of all government employees that support Skippack’s actions. Please check in often as I update this site.

Email me at: . We would love to hear your thoughts