Editor,
This letter is in reference to your “FROM THE BACKSHOP” column that appeared in the Feb. 9 edition of the “Current in Westfield.” In the column, you described your pleasure with the upgrade of the U.S. 31 highway to an interstate. You expressed your opinion that the pleasure evoked by the new interstate well outweighs the pain associated with the project. We would like to share a different perspective.
We won’t soon forget over a dozen neighbors who were forced to sell their homes to make room for the road. The memory of their vacant homes being looted by INDOT employees and others remains with us as well. Because of their beauty, especially in the fall, the memory of the many mature trees that were cleared for this project is also still very vivid in our minds. The memory of weeks and months of construction equipment and re-routed and ever changing access to our home is also a memory we will keep forever.
My family will never forget this project. Today, instead of enjoying a view of beautiful homes on a cozy street, when we step out on our front porch, we have a full view of an off-ramp, an on-ramp, and an overpass. That view, the increased traffic noise and the loss of property value of our home of 21 years, will forever jog our memories of a project that impacted us beyond measure.
We are disappointed that the opinion you have shared is short sighted and certainly not representative of the scope and impact that this project has had on all of our community. Although we do benefit from the ease of the commute as a result of this project, for our family, this pleasure does not outweigh the pain.
Thank you for taking the time to read our letter.
Sincerely,
Craig and Sue Henry,Westfield