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Sunday, November 14, 2004
Indiana Law - U.S. 31 neighbors study their rights
"U.S. 31 neighbors study their rights" is the headline to this story today in the South Bend Tribune about "property acquisition, citizen rights." Some quotes:
LAKEVILLE -- Clifford Hamilton knows the improvements he makes to his apartment and business complex along U.S. 31 between Dice and Pulling streets will not be long-term investments. The business at 5803 S. Michigan St., he is told by the Indiana Department of Transportation, may be bulldozed to make way for the proposed U.S. 31 hybrid route.Sixty residents and business owners like Hamilton who will be affected by the new highway came to the Old Lakeville School Project Saturday to hear about their rights as the state begins to take over their properties. * * *
Norman Milcherska was one of many residents who said they were frustrated by the uncertainty of when exactly their land might be acquired. Milcherska said the project is devaluing his land and has made it impossible for him or any of his neighbors to sell their homes. "They have us in limbo. They won't give us any information. People need to move on with their lives," he said.
Jeffrey Dierbeck, the event's organizer, said he hoped the event would serve as a first step in mobilizing and uniting residents. "It's a lifetime decision that will affect our children and our grandchildren," Dierbeck said of the highway,
Christine Baynes, project manager for InDOT, said the agency follows federal guidelines when it buys private property for projects. It's going to be two or three years before acquisition begins, she said. First, the Federal Highway Administration must approve InDOT's corridor selection -- a decision InDOT expects to occur early next year.
Posted by Marcia Oddi on November 14, 2004 04:07 PM
Posted to Indiana Law