McCord Rd underpass could result in eminent domain seizures - WICU12/WSEE Erie, PA News, Sports, Weather and Events

The McCord Road overpass project is still a year away but it goes no where without the county acquiring property.  The overpass will be built along the railroad tracks next to Springfield High School.

But now the words "eminent domain" are being used in order to get control of land the county needs.

The McCord Road underpass could be stalled if property owners do not sell. County leaders say eminent domain is possible.

Eminent domain was used to build the Jeep plant in North Toledo and Huntington Center downtown.   Now, it may have to be dusted off to build the new McCord road overpass.

The problem along McCord is trains.

Nearly 100 trains each day stop traffic every 15-minutes, trapping drivers like Tanya Traczyk who "gets stuck here a lot.  I absolutely hate it."

The Ohio Department of Transportation and the Lucas County Engineer are buying up property along McCord to build  a new roundabout and underpass to keep traffic moving.

Keith Earley, the county engineer says, "Without this underpass, we'd see a lot more problems than currently exist."

It is expected, by 2017,  train traffic will double at this intersection.

But the $17-million project stalls if the county cannot get all the property it needs.  One piece of property the county needs is the strip mall about 100-yards from the intersection.

The owner of Al Shereh restaurant says he needs $70,000 to move his business somewhere else.  But any money the county pays would go to the person who owns the strip mall.  Abdalleh Mohammad told 13abc reporter Bill Hormann, "The moving is easy; a couple of days or a week.  But to find a new location…"

Chances are, his relocation expenses would be paid.  But five businesses are refusing to sell which could derail the time frame for this construction project.

Yet eminent domain is not something Lucas County Commissioner Pete Gerken (D) wants to use.  He told 13abc,  "Like anything else, people should negotiate a fair price keeping in mind what the public needs."

But the county is now beginning the process of demolishing the buildings it *has purchased* for the project…

The county engineer believes a fair price is being offered for the properties.

The whole project should be completed by 2017 but any delay could mean more traffic troubles along this intersection as more trains begin moving through.