by KYW's Brad Segall

Opponents of a plan to move the multi-billion-dollar Barnes art collection from its present location in Lower Merion to Philadelphia have lost another round in court.

Montgomery County judge Stanley Ott says that Montgomery County and the grassroots organization "Friends of the Barnes" don’t have any legal standing to get into the case. He turned down their request to reopen the proceedings that would have given them an opportunity to convince the judge to reverse his decision that allowed the art collection to move (see previous story).

County commissioner Jim Matthews calls it disappointing:

"It should give everyone pause to know that the lifelong planning of a wonderful art collector has been disregarded and his intentions disregarded.”
 
Matthews believes the judge’s ruling will end the county’s legal efforts to keep the Barnes in Lower Merion.
  
Opponents of the move say the judge was unaware that the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania was planning to put up $100 million in taxpayer money to help finance the move.