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Sounds to me more like they were syaing, "you know, one day this road will have to be reeeaaaalll big!" It was only the late 90s that Maynard was even connected all around and at teh same time they were widening some parts to 4 lanes, they were building new sections 2 lanes, to come back 5 or 6 years later and widen them. Yeah, they were all over the long term planning there.
You can say with certainty that most any road will eventually be widened. It is a little disingenous to infer that there were concrete plans on the books at some long date way back when. Even then the setback for all the other houses was clearly not adequate for this particular condition, due to the topography and being at that particular point in the curve.
It is possible that Mr Bowden could have been more agreeable, but for Cary to act like they did anythign but railroad the guy is a crock, and I am a pretty staunch defender of Cary in most cases.
I dare anyone in Cary to try to take a similar treed lot and cut them all down like that and see what happens. Or try to develop and/or build anything that results in the amount of stormwater issues on another propoerty that he was dealing with. No way it will ever fly. It seems fair to me that any government agency apply their rules to equally to themselves as they apply to the citizens and that was not the case here.
The storm water problems were not created by the widening of the road. Mr. Bowden bought the house with a sub-pump in it. He then had the foundation excavated so as to waterproof it. He then allowed for his gutters to become clogged with growing trees...therefore exacerbating the problem. Even though the widening was not the cause of his flooding, the town offered to fix it, and Mr Bowden refused. In fact not only did he ask for the town to buy it, he asked for an additional 80 thousand on top of what the house was valued.
Im sorry the guy died...but I dont believe the town should be on the hook for his flooding issues, and I think they went above and beyond to try to fix it.
The storm water problems were not created by the widening of the road. Mr. Bowden bought the house with a sub-pump in it. He then had the foundation excavated so as to waterproof it. He then allowed for his gutters to become clogged with growing trees...therefore exacerbating the problem. Even though the widening was not the cause of his flooding, the town offered to fix it, and Mr Bowden refused. In fact not only did he ask for the town to buy it, he asked for an additional 80 thousand on top of what the house was valued.
Im sorry the guy died...but I dont believe the town should be on the hook for his flooding issues, and I think they went above and beyond to try to fix it.
Where are these details documented? Ie, the sub pump info, what the town offered him. What he was asking for. If they ever offered to buuy the house and for how much, etc. Where do you find these details?
Where are these details documented? Ie, the sub pump info, what the town offered him. What he was asking for. If they ever offered to buuy the house and for how much, etc. Where do you find these details?
It sounds as if this "information" comes from the city council and the mayor himself! Vague details and usually because the news said "they" said so without detailed information. But it is Cary and what they say is the last word and if you protest they sue you.
You can read much of this info in the actual legal court documents and supporting documents, some of which are online and some of which can be found filed with the town. What "he" said versus what "the town said" can be equally distorted in the news.
The lawsuit is about his right to first amendment speech versus strict zoning laws, not over the town buying his house or repairing it.
Bowden sticks by his original ultimatum: The only way he'll remove the sign is if the town buys his house for $250,000 -- its tax value, plus $80,000 for "aggravation." He said it's been so damaged by water coming into his garage and crawlspace that he can't sell it for what he owes on the mortgage.
"Probably all it'd be worth is the lot," he said.
The town countered with offers to put in drains re-routing the water.
The judge's ruling allows him to express himself freely, Bowden said, but talk is cheap, and he wants action from the town: specifically, buying his house.
"I'll take the tax value of the house, plus $80,000 (for the aggravation),” he said. "They have lied about everything."
Bowden wants to sell his home and travel the country in a recreational vehicle.
He figures he would have the money, if only he could sell his home. But he contends the water runoff has damaged it too badly to sell. The town has consistently denied that the project damaged his home but offered to improve drainage on the property.
Bowden has done nothing that would force the town to fix or buy his house. He hasn't filed a lawsuit for damages, so there has been no legal scrutiny of his claims. (Bowden sought a lawyer to sue, but his first choice turned out to be a jerk, he said.) He hasn't tried to sell, either.
From day 1 I have not seen why this guy felt the need to burn our tax dollars to prove a point. I dont buy the whole "freedom of speech" argument one bit...he just wanted to get paid. It's clear the more I read articles on this situation, pathetic.
I just bought a house in Cary. I'm going to be super pissed if the Bowden lawsuit ends up striking down all the sign ordinances in Cary. The lack of obnoxious commercial signage is one of the reasons I like Cary so much.
If, in the end, this is ruled a free speech issue, then the sign ordinances will be meaningless because corporations have a right to free speech now thanks to this glorious supreme court decision last year...
I just bought a house in Cary. I'm going to be super pissed if the Bowden lawsuit ends up striking down all the sign ordinances in Cary. The lack of obnoxious commercial signage is one of the reasons I like Cary so much.
If, in the end, this is ruled a free speech issue, then the sign ordinances will be meaningless because corporations have a right to free speech now thanks to this glorious supreme court decision last year...
That would be my last concern! I'd be more concerned with a huge road going through my front lawn and looking out my window to see a huge retaining wall, car tires, and tailpipes.
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