A HOMEOWNER is furious after the city plans to remove part of his garage to add a new roundabout to the neighborhood.
When the city council offered him money for the inconvenience, he refused to accept it because he disagreed with the construction.
About 15 feet of Hans Fekkes’ home in Indianapolis, Indiana, is being taken over by the city for a new roundabout.
However, based on its location, it will have to overlap the homeowner’s driveway.
“It’s just an ongoing nightmare, really,” he said DESIRE-TV.
Fekkes walked through what the city had done, saying, “This is the cutoff part, where they’re going to take my garage from here to the street.”
“They have a certain amount of footage that is eminent domain, but they needed more than that, and that’s when they had to buy it from me.”
Fekkes was offered $9,500 for the portion of the driveway that was removed, but he denied the money because he disagreed with the work.
“They are starting to do construction without my written approval until we negotiate a few things, a fence or berm with landscaping to help with lighting,” he explained.
The city declined to comment to the news outlet, but said, “the city will make fair and reasonable offers, consistent with contracted appraisers and court-appointed appraisers, if necessary.”
IMPORTANT ISSUE
The goal of the new $2.3 million project is to reduce traffic in the area.
It will also include underwater drainage and is expected to be open to motorists by 2025.
“Investing in our infrastructure is crucial to increasing safety and improving traffic flow. The new roundabout at 79th Street and Dean Road will streamline transportation in a neighborhood that has historically seen heavy traffic during peak hours,” said Major Joe Hogsett , according to TO WISH.
However, Fekkes calls for a better understanding of the city’s plans.
“They said this intersection is cheaper than a traffic light, and I would certainly like someone to explain that to me,” he said.
The furious owner hired a lawyer who clarified the larger issue.
It’s just an ongoing nightmare, really.
Hans Fekkes
“The land grab is not as much of a problem as the way they are building the roundabout,” Fekkes’ lawyer told the outlet.
During the construction process, which began last week, Fekke has already racked up tens of thousands of dollars in damage to his property.
Fekkes said utilities were moved to add more poles in front of his home, but trucks from construction and energy companies allegedly destroyed his sewer.
He said the damage left him with $20,000 in repairs.
Fekkes said a court order was issued to allow the city government to continue construction on his property.
Another homeowner destroyed her city after installing a median in front of her garage, leaving her little room to access it without damage.
The US Sun has reached out to the city of Indianapolis for comment.
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