Neighbors Side With Family Opposing 700-Job Deal in Town of Chemung
Chemung - Many neighbors along White Wagon Road are against the idea that a Fortune 100 distribution facility could soon replace the potato field across the street.
“I don’t really know that much about [the deal],” says neighbor Peggy Wolcott, who lives across the street from the farmland in question. “I would rather keep things the way they are now.”
The Chemung County Industrial Development Agency will not name the company who is interested in the site until they receive a letter of intent.
They say the project will bring in an estimated 700 full-time jobs.
But in order for the deal to go through, the IDA would need to acquire a 90-acre property adjoining the 40 acres of farmland it already owns.
The county says the land is owned by the Johnson family, of Pennsylvania. They had an option on the property back when the Dollar General wanted to open up a similar facility at the site more than a year ago, but that option has since expired.
Now, County Executive Tom Santulli says the Johnsons will not settle for less than $100,000 per acre. That is more than 8 times the appraisal price, which is $12,000 an acre.
The Town of Chemung has the land assessed at just $679 per acre, by contrast, according to Town Supervisor George Richter.
The IDA may try to force the Johnsons to sell their land at a price determined by a judge, also called eminent domain.
“Essentially the whole theory behind eminent domain is the government and people have a need for certain types of things, so the government is entitled to acquire property that benefits the public,” said County Attorney Bryan Maggs.
But the Johnsons’ neighbors are suspicious that the project will benefit them.
“Get real,” remarked next door neighbor Bill Yanavitch. “The handwriting’s on the wall. [Chemung County is] becoming a dictatorship.”
Yanavitch fears that it’s only a matter of time that the county asks to purchase his one-acre property adjoining the Johnsons’ land, where he’s lived for more than 40 years.
“You don’t know how much land they want. Maybe they can build around me, or maybe they’re waiting until the deal with Johnson [is finished]. I’m the only one that’s left now,” said Yanavitch, who was asked to sell his property in the Dollar General deal alongside the Johnsons.
He is friends with the Johnson family and says they will not sell their land because it would hurt their farming business.
The Johnsons could not be reached for comment.
County Executive Tom Santulli says he hopes to meet with them next week to settle on a reasonable price. If that doesn’t happen, a public hearing will happen on March 4th dealing with the issue of eminent domain.
http://www.wetmtv.com/news/local/story.aspx?content_id=eb30a472-86a7-4c7b-ace0-b5aad4dd72cf
WETM TV Reported by: Ana Liss
Last Update: 2/15 7:04 pm