2/10/08: Road to ruin? Some East Texans fear I-69/TTC will disrupt their rural lives

When Larry Shelton, a carpenter from Nacogdoches, carried his wife on their wedding night through the door of the dream house he built for them, he knew they would live out their years in their new home with all the little joys most couples find themselves too busy or too removed from nature to enjoy. He looked forward to holding her hand while walking through the woods together, sipping their morning coffee together in the breakfast nook while looking out over the flowers in the garden and working on his wood carving from home.

Brittony Lund/The Lufkin Daily News (enlarge photo) Larry Shelton, a carpenter from Nacogdoches, sits in the home he and his wife, Merry Anne Bright, share. Shelton and Bright worked together to build the home before getting married and moving into it, but the I-69 Trans-Texas Corridor could run right through their hard work.

Little did he know when the two of them walked through that threshold three years ago that the possibility of a Trans-Texas Corridor would freeze all of his hopes and dreams, instead filling both his and his wife's days with constant letter-writing, educating the locals and attending public hearings to protest the super highway which could destroy everything he worked so hard to build.

The I-69 Trans-Texas Corridor, if built, would include toll roads, high-speed freight and commuter rail, water lines, oil and gas pipelines, electric transmission lines and telecommunications infrastructure all in the same corridors. The corridor is one possible solution to rising traffic congestion problems, according to TxDOT. An exact location for the corridor has not yet been decided, but the possibility of it going right through rural lands including Shelby County and Nacogdoches County has landowners both upset and angry that the government could come in and take their land away from them to make room for a massive highway.

TxDOT has offered three alternatives, all of which are currently being considered as TxDOT officials hold public hearings to listen to the concerns and suggestions of local people the highway would affect. The alternatives include first, taking no action at all and not building anything. The second would be an upgrade of current highways including Highway 59 and others. This second option would still affect some locals, but not as many as the third alternative, which would be to develop a Trans-Texas Corridor and build a new route through the state. Though most landowners oppose the second option as well, it's the third option that really has most rural landowners upset, scared and angry.

The proposed path of the corridor could end up cutting right through Shelton's property, which would mean the loss of the home he spent six years of his life building, including working holidays, weekends and late into the night.

"There's 17 years of blood, sweat and tears in this place," Shelton said, adding that no amount of money the government could offer would replace how much labor and love have gone into his property.

He and his wife, Merry Anne Bright, had planned on doing more with the place including growing up a beautiful garden but for now the two have no idea what the future holds and no assurances that any work they put into their home will matter years down the road.

"Our lives are put on hold," Shelton said. "It's difficult to go forward because it could be a waste of time and effort."

Shelton doesn't just worry about his own land, though. The corridor would also take away land from his neighbors, a farmer who had plans of building a large poultry house for an expansion of his business, and a 75-year-old woman whose family lived in their home for generations. Part of the nearby Libby community, which is currently in danger, includes what used to a one-room schoolhouse and a cemetery with over 75 graves which has existed since 1898.

"This is the heart of our community," Shelton said. "It would physically divide the community and that would mean the death of the community."

And so instead of living the relaxing worry-free life he had planned, Shelton and Bright work hard to fight the possible Trans Texas Corridor which threatens to destroy he and his neighbor's way of life. He spends much of his time at meetings and writing letters speaking out against the super highway while Bright works hard to educate the locals on the highway and what they can do to stop it. Recently she handed more than 3,000 copies of information. The packets include talking points for land owners to speak on at meetings.

Should the government decide to go forward with building the corridor, this would mean buying right of way, which could include some rural land.

"It's a new world out there is what they want to tell us and there's no room for this anymore," Shelton said. "They want to take our land to build things the city needs. That's a bitter pill to swallow. They're going to take our land by force."

At the last public hearing, Shelton spoke out against the Trans-Texas Corridor, fighting both the possibility of people losing homes and land as well as the possibility of everyone who doesn't lose land having to deal with the noise of traffic 24/7 and the loss of the rural way of life.

"The concept of the government taking our private properties in order to then lease them out to make a profit for the State is beyond unjust, it is an outrage," Shelton said at the meeting. "And the notion that I'm here tonight working to push this thing off of my place and onto my neighbor's makes the fires of hell warm my feet."

Greg Grant, a landowner who grew up in the little town of Arcadia in Shelby County, walks the woods he helped cultivate and collects the eggs the chickens on his farm laid just like he did as a boy when the farm belonged to his grandparents. Grant can hardly believe that this land, which has been passed down to him for seven generations, is now in danger of being disturbed by the Trans Texas Corridor. The way the map stands right now the corridor would most likely not run through Grant's property, but it would run right next to it, causing noise from the traffic to disturb the peace Grant has grown up with.

"Every dime I've ever made, every second of every day was for this place," Grant said. "It's at least a generation removed from the world.''

Grant remembers when he was a little boy he would beg his parents to come visit his grandparent's farm every day. After growing up in Arcadia, Grant went off to bigger cities, but in the end he felt the pull of his roots drawing him back home again. Grant said that's the way it is for many who leave home.

"The land is a part of them," Grant said. "Everybody seems to find their way back."

He remembers the one thing he missed more than anything was the pine trees.

"I missed their smell, sound, the frost and ice on the needles," Grant said. "I could barely survive without them."

Grant still likes to visit the creek known to him and all his relatives as Grandmother's Creek, where he used to sit and look over the creek while listening to Granny tell stories. It was during this growing up period when Grant fell in love with history, family and nature, which would eventually lead to his passion for horticulture. He currently works as a research associate for SFA's Pineywoods Native Plant Center.

As he stands next to a tree, looking out over the creek, he listens to the sound of the water flowing and the birds chirping, sounds which he fears will soon be replaced by the sound of traffic on a busy highway. He says that many focused on the future and building and expanding don't understand why he and others love this land as much as they do. They can't see past the fact that it's "just" trees and birds which can be found anywhere, but Grant compared his love of the land to loving an old crazy quilt your grandmother made with all kinds of crazy colors that can't be replaced by anything store bought. The highway, Grant said, is more like a plain white comforter which many stores sell. Grant and others don't want to give up their "grandmother's quilt" for a simple "white bed sheet."

Grant's mother, Jackie Grant, lives in a house on a hill overlooking a view of trees and the creek. Grant's father promised Jackie Grant that he would build her a house on that hill if she would marry him. However, when they got married he was "poor as a church mouse" and couldn't afford it. Years later though, Grant's father kept his promise and built Jackie Grant the house on the hill.

Grant worries that if the Trans-Texas Corridor is built next to their land instead of the current view his mother has she'll "look down on the world's largest highway."

Jackie Grant feels what the government is proposing is a simple matter of right and wrong and they are in the wrong.

"These are hallowed grounds here," she said.

Grant stressed that he and his neighbors would fight to the very end to save their land.

"If people in Texas don't fight for their land, they're not Texans," Grant said.

Bob Crump, resident of the small town of Silas in Shelby County, fears what will happen to him and everyone else if their land is taken away and they're forced to move elsewhere since most residents are retired and elderly and don't know any other way of life.

"Most of our citizens have lived in this area most of their lives," Crump said. "Some have moved here to enjoy the peace and tranquility of the piney woods of East Texas. All of this will be destroyed."

Helen Billingsley, whose husband and children own 500 acres of land in both Huber and Silas in Shelby County, are also in the path of the proposed Trans-Texas Corridor. Her voice broke as she fought back tears talking about the land she loved and her fear of losing all of that.

"This is where our grandsons love to come to roam the woods, fish in the ponds and generally explore the land to feel a part of it," Billingsley said. "In my mind's eye I can still see our oldest grandson with arms outstretched and head leaned back experiencing the freedom and sheer joy of running along the pasture road from the top of a wooded hill to the very bottom."

Billingsley had hoped to pass on the land to her grandchildren and they to their grandchildren.

"As my grandfather and mother used to often say, 'They are not making any more land. Take care of it and don't sell it,'" Billingsley said. "But if I-69/TTC takes the recommended preferred pathway I won't sell it, but it will be taken away from me and my family by foreigners."

Billingsley worries about what would happen to her family if their working ranch of 50 or more cattle is taken from them.

"I know that this is God's land and we are only stewards, but we try our best to be good stewards, which means replanting pine trees when needed and protecting our streams and wildlife," Billingsley said.

Although the corridor most likely won't be built in her lifetime, Billingsley said it still breaks her heart to know her grandchildren will miss out on what she's grown up around.

"My husband and I have visited 49 of the 50 states, and I dare say that the piney woods of East Texas are right at the top of my most beautiful list," Billingsley said. "The thought of replacing this precious little corner of God's creation with the noise, commotion, fumes and general distastefulness that a mega highway would bring is almost more than I can bear."

Jim McReynolds, D-Lufkin, encourages everyone concerned to come to the public hearing TxDOT has been holding at different locations. According to McReynolds, the legislature in the last session passed laws keeping TxDOT from issuing any new contracts for the corridor for two years. During the next session in January of 2009, a study group will look at the plans and determine of the corridor really is needed or if an alternative can be found. McReynolds worries that about 70 percent of the people currently oppose the building of the corridor and hopes everyone will come to the meetings.

"Democracy takes place when people come together," McReynolds said. "You don't get a vote on this, but I think the agency will listen to people and you will be taped and it will be reviewed. I think they will listen to testimony... This is our land and we want to be sure before Big Brother comes in and takes it that they've studied and looked at other opportunities. Showing up at these meetings is our chance to have our voice heard."

Shelton encourages everyone attending the meetings to get informed on the corridor. He also encourages everyone to give written comments, which TxDOT will accept until March 19, 2008. McReynolds also stressed to be polite in commenting since the TxDOT officials are doing what they can to gather everyone's comments and opinions before going forward.