Local News

Buckhannon to pursue property through eminent domain

BUCKHANNON -- The City of Buckhannon is planning to pursue eminent domain against the Knights of Pythias property adjacent to Stockert Youth and Community Center.

Mayor David McCauley said Thursday that city attorney Tom O'Neill will prepare the eminent domain petition which will be served to the organization.

"That's not to say that we can't still resolve - come to a price that we will come to an agreement with - but they are not going to do it without us filing a petition," he said.

The City of Buckhannon would like to acquire the Knights of Pythias property, at 65 E. Main St., as it prepares to build a multi-purpose gymnasium for SYCC although the city has looked at the property for the last dozen years.

"We've been negotiating with them for 12 years," McCauley said. "This last overture was made by them. They asked us if we would buy the property. They had it appraised and told us what it appraised at ($55,000). Then we had it appraised (which came in at $105,000) and we offered the price between the two appraisals. They wanted four times what their appraised value was, so we offered the higher appraised value ($105,000)."

The Knights of Pythias would not accept the $105,000 and negotiations stalled.

"So, what are we to do?" McCauley asked. "It's right there in the middle of where we want to put the new gym.

"We offered the high appraised value of $105,000 and told them if they would come back to the table we would negotiate," he said. "They are hung up on $187,000 and have not moved one penny off of that since their very first offer to sell."

Originally, McCauley said there was also conversation about having a meeting space for the Knights of Pythias attached to the new gym.

"It was going to cost us about $200,000 to build an addition on to this building and they wanted lifetime rights to it," he said. "We checked with the Ethics Commission and we can't give lifetime rights to a municipally owned building."

McCauley said the Knights of Pythias building has no utilities connected to their building at this time and believes the membership numbers around a dozen.

"To hold the youth of our community hostage for three or four times the appraised value of a piece of property...this is not a bottomless pit," he said. "We have worked hard to amass this $322,000 and I'm not about to give the lion's share of it to a bunch of guys who are seeking four times what the property is worth."

The Knights of Pythias have retained legal counsel, Allison J. Farrell of Jenkins Fenstermaker PLLC in Clarksburg.

When reached Friday, Farrell said, "Consistent with my letter to the city attorney, the Knights do not intend to sell their property at this time."