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Some county residents upset with I-69 waiting game

While Gov. Mitch Daniels and the Indiana Department of Transportation are examining ways to pay for the extension of Interstate 69, by even entertaining the idea of public and private partnerships, families living along the extension corridor are hanging in limbo.

Five Greene County families who live on State Road 54 near Springville are excellent examples of homeowners along the projected extension corridor who can't make future plans because they are sitting on real estate they love but can't improve or sell because it is tagged for I-69.

"It's not whether we are for or against it (I-69)," said Charles Ramsden who owns six beautiful, wooded acres on S.R. 54. "It's about how it is impacting people. They (the state) are going through and marking property, but won't come in and say they want the property and will buy it now. They say they have no money. And when we ask when they will buy, they say 'We can't help you. It is not defined.' "

All proposed paths for I-69 come across S.R. 54 cutting through the middle of Ramsden's house, dissecting his property and taking three other neighboring houses. It doesn't cut through the fifth house, a large farm in the area, but cuts access to it.

However, Ramsden says plans for I-69 were made backwards. The decision was made to do it, and designs were drawn before INDOT made decisions on the funding. Ramsden explained that, for most large projects, there is first a political agreement to do it, and money is set aside for a study and decisions are determined for financing. Then money is put aside for the project. Ramsden and his wife, Linda, moved to their property outside of Springville in the early 1980s. It is there that they raised their two sons who graduated from Eastern Greene. It is in those woods that they built six trails where they love to hike. The couple even built a chapel in the woods where their church congregation often gathers for meetings during the summer. The property holds everything they ever wanted for a home and on that property they made memories. The Ramsdens, who are in their late 50s, had plans to build a house for their son and his family on the six acres, so they would have someone to help them in their elder years.

"We want to know what we can do -- what can we expect. It has left people for years in a no-win situation," Ramsden explained. "We just want to get on with our lives. We don't want to be making a hard move when we are in our late 60s or in our 70s."

According to an article in the Fort Wayne Journal Gazette, Indiana transportation officials said they had uncovered long-range planning documents indicating that construction of I-69 was not scheduled to start until 2017. However, Daniels says he hopes to have it completed by that year.

Trying to get some answers, Ramsden and his neighbors wanted to be part of the Community Advisory Committee (CAC). However, they were told they weren't a community. After Ramsden petitioned 50 signatures, the households in Timber Trace were considered a community and were permitted to join the CAC.

At a meeting at Eastern Greene School in 2003, Ramsden said citizens were told that if INDOT was coerced regarding the purchase of property "we will not treat you as well."

Ramsden says there is a federal code called Hardship Buy Out, which allows the state to buy property early for certain circumstances, such as if a person loses his job and has to move.

"I am asking the state to take responsibility," noted Ramsden. "They are buying mitigation land as a replacement for natural resources. They have money to buy that, but they don't have a dime to give to people for their property. If they don't use all my land, they can use it for mitigation."

Ramsden further noted that some county politicians would not stand up for the people impacted or for an interchange on S.R. 54. However, he says he lauds Greene County Commissioner Kathy Crouch for expressing her opinions at the CAC meetings by saying there must be exits in Greene County.

Rod McClure who lives across S.R. 54 from Ramsden stated that he and his wife were also in limbo.

"All of us want to move on," McClure noted. "It's inevitable that they come across this land. It's been planned for a long time. This topology will level out easier and there aren't as many families involved in this area, but we would like them to go ahead so we can take action. My point is, if you're on the map and you're affected, then do something. I don't think it would be too much of a stretch to do it."

McClure said when he lived in California and Highway 5 was being extended, the state went ahead and paid landowners.

"I believe this whole project is fiscally irresponsible," he said.

Not totally against the project, McClure added that if it is done right and an interchange is built on S.R. 54, making three exits in the area, it could serve as a golden triangle and an asset to the community.

McClure, who has three acres, said living there is the better of two worlds. Trees surround his house, a stream runs across the front yard, and it isn't too far from Bloomington, Bedford or Bloomfield. However, he says if the state is going to take it, he would just as soon get on with it and adjust his life accordingly.

All five households marked for the 2000-foot 3C corridor do not want to be placed on hold while they are marked as highway route pathway property.

If you came here from the CARR web site, our URL is: http://www.i69tour.org/

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