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Feature
Carver City Residents Say I-275 Project Has Ruined Their Property Values
BY LEON B. CREWS Sentinel Staff Writer
Norman Wright and his family have called the Carver City community home for more than 60 years.
With development proj- ects impacting communities all over the city, Carver City had been left untouched until 2013 when the residents were told things were about to change.
“My family was among the first to move into this community,” said Wright.
“As far as the I-275 ex- pansion project is concerned, I think we’ve all been given a hard time on the project. In 2002, my house was not on the plan, but later on it was. When the housing market crashed, that’s when the Florida Department of Trans- portation (FDOT) stopped giving us any feedback.”
Wright said some resi- dents were told they would get privacy fences and new plants in their yards, but as far as FDOT buying their homes; that never happened.
“They told us FDOT would not be buying any- thing they didn’t need.
“I think FDOT could have given us a deeper setback way from the noise and a sound barrier wall. Instead, we got nothing. I know it was re- ported that some of us had been offered money and turned it down, but that isn’t true.”
James Jackson has
the new ramp opened and the other work has been com- pleted.”
Ms. Moore said she suf-
fers from asthma, and at cer- tain times of day the exhaust fumes coming from the inter- state are sickening.
CARLA MOORE
lived in the community since 1993, and said he first heard about the expansion plans when they first moved into their home.
“FDOT started contacting residents to see if any of them would be interested in selling their homes. Now, they’re telling us they aren’t inter- ested in buying any more homes.
“FDOT never took into consideration the impact the noise and pollution from ex- hausts would have on us. We actually told them about this concern in the very begin- ning. Right now, all FDOT is telling us is they are looking into it.”
Jackson said he doesn’t feel the residents were treated fairly in the process and we will not stop until something has been resolved.
Carla Moore, who has lived in Carver City for 19 years, said they’ve asked for
JAMES JACKSON
more than a decade to meet with FDOT officials to nego- tiate with them for the sale of their homes.
“Once we actually saw the magnitude of the project, none of us felt comfortable.
“All we keep hearing is the issue is being addressed, but I’ve never entered into any kind of negotiations with FDOT.”
Ms. Moore said the plans have been changed sev- eral times, and right now none of them know if there was ever any consideration given to the residents.
“It looks like they (FDOT) just kept changing the plan as they went along.
“They bought some homes not as close to the in- terstate as mine. I also think they intentionally cut through our neighborhood for this project and they didn’t have to. The noise is unbearable, especially since
NORMAN WRIGHT
In this photo, you can see how close the bike trail and interstate is to homes in Carver City.
PAGE 2-B FLORIDA SENTINEL BULLETIN PUBLISHED EVERY TUESDAY AND FRIDAY FRIDAY, APRIL 24, 2015