Rail-terminal foes confront Monroe board

11/29/2006

MONROE - Wearing "No Eminent Domain" shirts, opponents of a proposed rail terminal in Erie Township attended the Monroe County commissioners meeting last night to question the board's funding of a private entity that encourages businesses to come to the county.

After the meeting, board Chairman Jerry Oley said he would step down from the Monroe County Industrial Development Corp. board by year's end to avoid any conflict with his role as a commissioner. The commissioners' chairman is on that board by default. He did not say who on the commissioners might take his place.

A representative of the group opposed to the proposed rail terminal told commissioners that they should no longer give money to the development corporation because it sides with the developer's plans to take property by eminent domain for the proposed terminal.

The terminal would be built between Erie and Luna Pier roads along the east side of a Canadian National Railway line that parallels I-75.