Pleasant Hill Residents Concerned About Construction Impact
NewsCentral Staff
Story Created:
Oct 9, 2012 at 10:38 PM EDT
Story Updated:
Oct 9, 2012 at 10:38 PM EDT
Peter Givens speaks on behalf of Pleasant Hill Improvement Group.
They're concerned about of the planned I-16/I-75 widening project and it's impact on the oldest historically black neighborhood in Macon.
The Georgia Department of Transportation divided the Pleasant Hill Neighborhood in half 50 years ago with the construction of the interstate. Tuesday's discussion left some feeling that history is repeating itself.
"Now its happening all over again. All of the promises they've made have turned out to be 40 acres and a mule.They haven't contacted any of the property owners, they haven't had a single meeting with them. The neighborhood said they wanted Little Richard's house restored and moved, they haven't even talked to the owner of it. This is beyond frustrating."
One problem that has come up is the inspections for homes that will have to be relocated. That inspection process requires a large hole to be cut in the wall and floor of the home, and though GDOT is paying for the inspection, they are not repairing the homes afterward.
"You as a homeowner have no other recourse but to close up the holes yourself or pay someone to do that until the house is moved and rehabbed. That's ridiculous. It could be another three years before the house is moved and rehabbed" -Peter Givens/Pleasant Hill Improvement Group
GDOT plans to have the homes moved and rehabbed by 2015, but funding for the full construction project is more than 5 years away.
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