Delaware County Council has set aside $21 million to pay eminent domain compensation for a new county park in Marple Township, writes Kathleen E. Carey for the Daily Times.

The payment would go to the Archdiocese of Philadelphia and Maple Glen Development LLC, owners of 213 acres of open space at the former Don Guanella School property.

“In the intervening period, the county has engaged in an appraisal professional to review value and in connection with the legal requirement to tender equitable just compensation,” county Solicitor William F. Martin said.

Now the owners will either accept the payment or place their own value on the land, leading to a “statutory evaluation process” to determine the final value, Martin said.

County council authorized eminent domain proceedings in July to prevent the development of the land.

In December 2020, the Marple Board of Commissioners rejected the most recent plans for 141 homes on 89 acres of the property.

Conservationists want the property preserved as the county’s last large piece of open space.

The use of eminent domain was criticized by Delaware County GOP Chairman Tom McGarrigle believing legal fees would take funds away from other downtown revitalization and open space efforts.

Read more at the Daily Times about the Don Guanella site.