ZANESVILLE – Dismissed. An eminent domain lawsuit filed by the City of Zanesville has been tossed out, and the nearly four acres at 2 Beaumont St. is staying with the Anchor Church.
The Muskingum County Court of Common Pleas and Judge Kelly Cottrill filed an entry Aug. 5, largely stating the city, leading up to its petition for appropriation filed in December 2025, had not acted in good faith to procure the riverside property and that the taking was not necessary for public use.
Those two items match some of what Anchor Church attorney David Watkins said in a response to Zanesville’s petition March 5. He alleged there was no need for the city to take the property, that it’s not for a public use, that the city had not acted in good faith, and that it had “unclean hands” during the process, the Times Recorder previously reported.
Cottrill highlighted specific instances that he believed tainted Zanesville’s efforts to get the property, including the city’s threat of a “quick-take eminent domain action” and a flip-flopping interest in the property between 2020 and 2024.
“Citizens of the city and members of the general public justifiably expect honesty and reasonableness from city leaders,” Cottrill said in the court document. “Threats of unlawful legal action, intimidation, and dishonesty are the hallmarks of operating in bad faith. The court finds that the city has not shown… that it made a good faith offer to the church.”
The Times Recorder reached out to both Zanesville’s law director The Times Recorder reached out to Attorney David Watkins to learn what the next steps for the church. He could not be immediately reached.
The city’s law director David Tarbert did respond to the TR’s request for comment.
“The city is currently reviewing the court’s ruling and evaluating all available options, including a possible appeal. The notice of appeal deadline is 30 days from the date of the entry. I will discuss the matter with city council and the administration and will take whatever action they instruct. I expect that discussion to occur at council’s August 24 meeting,” Tarbert said in an email to the TR.
Tarbert also addressed one of Cottrill’s analyses on the quick-take eminent domain action. “I explained the city’s offer, explained that if it was not accepted the city would likely file an appropriation action, and explained the differences between a standard appropriation and a ‘quick take’ – including that this matter did not qualify for a traditional quick take. Explaining the legal options available to an opposing party, and their consequences, is a routine and necessary part of representing a client. I recognize that can sometimes be perceived differently by those less familiar with legal proceedings,” his statement read.
“Serving the public trust is a responsibility I take seriously, and I remain committed to carrying out my duties with professionalism, integrity, and in the best interests of the community,” Tarbert added.
How this started
Zanesville City Council passed legislation in July 2025 to move forward with the eminent domain petition.
The city originally wanted to procure the 3.98-acre parcel to match the surrounding land it bought along the Licking River leading up to Confluence Park to create a nature preserve or public park. The court docket shows a receipt of deposit for $350,000, which matches the city’s most recent appraisal and matching offer for the for the property in July 2025.
The church wanted the property to build a new two-story, 54,000-square-foot sanctuary after growing out of its current Chamberlin Street location. It bought the land for $330,000 from trucking company GLS Leasco Inc. (through Crown Enterprises) in June 2023. The overgrown asphalt lot has been vacant for several years, after its buildings, former trucking garages, were demolished around 2018 or 2019.
Shawn Digity is a reporter for the Zanesville Times Recorder. He can be emailed at sdigity@usatodayco.com or found on X at @ShawnDigityZTR.
This article originally appeared on Zanesville Times Recorder: Zanesville loses eminent domain battle over church-owned riverfront land
Reporting by Shawn Digity, Zanesville Times Recorder / Zanesville Times Recorder
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By Shawn Digity, Zanesville Times Recorder | USA TODAY Network
