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Why We Oppose a Bridge Over
Lake Lavon
The Bridge Paths Reward Influential
Developers while Obliterating the Citizens.
If Collin County's mission is to
fairly serve the entire eastern shore, then logically the roadway
should bisect Hwy 78 half way between Farmersville and Wylie.
It doesn't. It skirts the bottom of several southern peninsula
properties owned by HHEC (a Hunt
corporation). Could this be a reason for the study's location?
(See the maps below.)
Collin County told us they were not
in the business of taking homes:
(March of this year we were told that Collin
County has only taken one house and one barn for the entire route of
the outer loop. )
Yet, the Lavon Lake bridge routes slam through the only homes and neighborhoods within
miles, leaving influential developers with prime real
estate.
As soon as a line is drawn, the manipulation of property value
begins:
Large land holders are sure to be rewarded, while those living next
to and under the line will see their property value decrease year after
year. When Collin County is ready to acquire the land for the
right of way, some homeowners will be left with so little "compensation"
that they'll be unable to rebuild their lives.
Here is the most likely scenario:
The peninsula and east of the lake have some "modest" neighborhoods. They do not generate desirable property tax
revenue so Collin County has no use for them. They do not fit
into any developer's vision for the area. What is Collin
County and HNTB's solution? Several of the routes plow down the older homes
and cast a bridge shadow over entire neighborhoods. Either the
homes will be taken by the roadway, or the homes will be left
behind, but become worthless. Either way these properties are
destroyed. The remaining property owners will be forced to
sell, dirt cheap, to anyone willing to make an offer. This
eventually will lead to a fresh canvas to new developers.
We have asked Collin County:
Which
developers were involved in the decision that first drove the study area's location.
Which
developers were involved during the placement of the HNTB routes.
So far, no response from Collin County or
engineering.
Back in 2005, this bridge was clearly a
desirable option for Mr. Don Dillard, a Hunt Corporation - Real Estate
Division Representative :
MINUTES Lucas City Council - Special Meeting - September 29, 2005
Related Topic:
Hunt representatives give a clear view of their vision for the area in
this article.
A Rising
Tide on Lavon's Shores - December 30, 2005
HHEC SPINCO LLC is a Hunt Corporation
The Hunt family has made significant contributions to Jerry
Hoagland through his years in office.
HHEC owns 534 acres along the proposed bridge routes.
Here is a view of the western lake area.
Note the ravine under the yellow and green routes.
This floodway is the only land HHEC will have 'taken' by any bridge
route.
I find it interesting that the yellow and green routes would build a
bridge -
at tax payer expense - that perfectly connects the two halves
of the HHEC property.
Peninsula - HHEC land is north of all the proposed routes, but
NONE of their land is taken by any routes.
In contrast, he folks just south of the HHEC land are completely
engulfed by the right of way.
Information on the Lavon 593
Property...
At the October 7th meeting,
A SaveLakeLavon member spoke to a fellow from Hanover. I think
it is Hanover Property who is planning a development on the Lavon 593
land.
"I
TALKED WITH HIM BRIEFLY. THEY (Hanover) ACTUALLY DO NOT WANT THE
BRIDGE EITHER, REGARDLESS OF WHICH ROUTE IS CHOSEN IT WILL
NEGATIVELY IMPACT THEIR PROPERTY."
The
Hanover representative attended the meeting to say that they
prefer the red line over the others, but after seeing that folks
were against ALL routes, he decided there was no need for him to
speak.
In my opinion,
being against the bridge actually makes more sense.
If I
were looking for a place to live, where would I like more? A
quiet area on the western shores of a beautiful lake with a
nice view or right next door to a 120 ft 6 lane, 60 MPH bridge
that will eventually connect to the outer loop, transit hub, and Hwy
75.
It is good to know
they are OK with NO BRIDGE, but the Lavon 593 folks will need to
keep a positive working relationship with Collin County as they
develop their land. Because of this, I doubt we can
count on them to fight with the NO BRIDGE folks, but it is an
interesting development and we shall see how it goes.
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