Judge says contract breach requires state to give Sawmill wetlands to developer
Because the state backed out of a deal with a developer to swap a Sawmill Road wetlands near Dublin for 43 acres in Delaware County, it now must give the wetlands property to the developer.
The “Ohio Division of Wildlife, the Department of Natural Resources, the Attorney General and Governor Kasich himself, acting on behalf of the State of Ohio, agreed in writing to give away the Sawmill Property for nothing if the State of Ohio breached the land swap contract. Which it did,” Franklin County Common Pleas Judge Christopher Brown wrote in a Sept. 2 decision.
Natural Resources officials would not answer questions, but noted in an email that they disagreed with the ruling and are considering an appeal.
The land swap was years in the making. James Schrim III of JDS So Cal Ltd. originally planned to build a hotel or assisted-living facility at the 17.5-acre wetlands site. He negotiated with Natural Resources to trade the property for 43 acres he was willing to purchase for more than $1 million along the Olentangy River near Highbanks Metro Park.
Read more: http://www.dispatch.com/content/stories/local/2016/09/11/judge-says-state-breached-swap-deal-property-goes-to-developer.html