I-69/TTC meeting in Huntsville tonight

January 30, 2008

BY DAVE KUCIFER, Examiner publisher

Due to the inability of many to attend last week's I69/TTC Town Hall meeting in Huntsville, because of lack of space, the Texas Department of Transportation has scheduled a second meeting for 5:30 p.m. Wednesday at the Walker County Fair Grounds.

Unlike the I69/TTC public hearing scheduled for Grimes County on February 28, those attending the Walker County meeting will have an opportunity to ask questions and voice concerns.

The last Town Hall I69/TTC meeting in the central Texas, other than the second Huntsville meeting, was held in Bellville Monday night.

The Grimes County meeting will deal only with the environmental impact the proposed route will have on the county. According to the Keep Texas Moving Web site, those attending the public hearings will only have the opportunity to provide input on what issues should be addressed in an Environmental Impact Statement. The Web site goes on to state the public can participate by submitting written comments directly to TxDOT.

Both the county commission and the Navasota City Council is on record as opposing the proposed route for a number of reasons, not the least of which is the loss of taxable property should it be approved. County Judge Betty Shiflett said, “Grimes County commissioners are opposed to the project as evidenced by the resolution we passed in December after hearing a presentation by Michael Parks representing the Brazos Valley Council of Government.” The judge said Monday morning. Precinct 3 commissioner Julian Melchor went so far as to ask a TxDOT representative “what part of no do you not understand?” when discussing the issue. At the December meeting Parks BVCOG is on record as favoring an I 69 configuration that would use State Highway 6 as its “footprint” and would not involve the taking of any land. The currently proposed I 69/TTC route would bi-sect the eastern part of the county north and south and take wide swatches of private land in the Richards/Shiro area.

City Manager Brad Stafford and Mayor Bert Miller are on record opposing the project. “We are opposed to any project that would take land from land owners, the BVCOG proposed route would use State Highway 6 for the I-69 route and while it is not a perfect solution it is better than the route proposed by TxDOT," Stafford said.