The letter was delivered to Gov.Daniels in July. Overall, I believe that the Governor has done a good job, however he has a deaf ear at times (or his staff) so I could use your help. As of this writing we have not received any response from the Governor.
The following letter describes waste in regards to the US 31 project. So far we have been fighting the destruction of perfectly good homes to no avail, therefore I could use your help! I ask you to take a few moments and read the letter below and if you are inclined-feel free to send it to your representative.
Gov. Daniels aid is Mr. Eric Holcomb--eholcomb@gov.in.gov
_____________________________________________________________
Mitschelen and Associates
Kevin Mitschelen
21190 W. Johnson Rd.
South Bend, IN 46614
mitschelens-4@sbcglobal.net
574-291-1850
574-876-3526-cell
Governor Daniels:
I would like to thank you for taking a few minutes of your time regarding a policy that INDOT has in place for the seizure of property and the removal of structures in the way of the U.S. 31 highway project.
In years past, the department would give the original owners of such structures the chance to buy back their homes or buildings for removal. If they declined, the department would then hold public auctions in which citizens would be able to buy these structures. For decades this practice has allowed many structures to be saved by moving and/or salvaging them. This in turn has provided many benefits, including:
-The state spending less on the cost of demolition for removal. (This is simple math - instead of demolishing the entire structure, only its foundations would require removal.)
-By saving the house, the state would receive future property taxes over the life of the house. (Again, this is simple math - property taxes would be paid for decades to come.)
-Less construction waste, which would result in less negative environmental impact. As you are aware, construction waste (including demolition) accounts for 1/4 of what goes into landfills. (Your administration can show ingenuity here by thinking "outside the box" to reduce negative environmental impact.)
-Future homeowners would benefit (with a higher equity in their home).
-Basement plumbers, electricians and contractors would benefit (through the creation of such jobs in the private market).
I had the opportunity to run against Pat Bauer for State Representative in South Bend last year, so an invitation to the groundbreaking of the U.S. 31 project (near Lakeville) was extended to me. As stated in the ceremony, "...this is a very large project." Due to its massive scale and the number of people affected, I would ask that you and your administration consider the 5 points mentioned above.
For decades the policy of holding public auctions to remove structures has seen great success. However, just this last year, the state of Indiana demolished perfectly good homes instead of moving them, as a part of the Capital Ave. expansion project (S.R. 331). This policy has also spread throughout the state.
In recent press conferences you have supported Indiana taking the lead in both recycling and "green" construction. Frankly, I can't think of any bigger recycling project than saving a house from the landfill.
For the past two years, we have received a polite, yet frustrating response from several officials in the INDOT's LaPorte district as well as from within Indianapolis; we are therefore asking for your involvement.
At this point we have established correspondence with Representative Jackie Walorski, House Minority Leader Brian Bosma, Congressman Joe Donnelly and Indiana's Lieutenant Governor's office regarding the matter, and we have also sent repeated letters to INDOT officials. Rep. Walorski introduced HB 1475 which asked for a reversal of the current policy, yet it was killed in committee in 2009. Rep. Bosma wrote a letter of support for the bill as well. However, I am growing more and more confident that my state officials (with the exception of Reps. Walorski and Bosma) are content with sending us on one wild goose chase after another until all of the homes for the U.S. 31 project have been destroyed.
The U.S. 31 project will affect over 400 structures. As stated above, this is obviously a large-scale project with both environmental and financial implications; we therefore ask for your help in reversing INDOT's current policy and establishing guidelines to save as many structures as possible.
Sincerely,
Kevin Mitschelen
Lewis Mitschelen (Owner of Mitschelen and Associates)
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