Lansing State Journal from Lansing, Michigan • Page 4

4A Sunday, July 12, 2009 Lansing State Journal www.lsj.com U.S. 127: Lawmakers agree project is worth the long wait Enjoy a summer vacation from the ordinary. more like $250 million. "Bureaucrats like to inflate the price to scare you off," said Rep. Paul Opsommer, R-DeWitt 'Dangerous stretch' Opsommer sits on the House Transportation Committee and thinks hanging onto the land is smart because to sell now would create a loss, given last year's collapse of property values.

To one day buy back the land for the expansion would cost more. "I would think it would be irresponsible to sell off the land," Opsommer said. State Rep. Pam Byrnes, D-Lyndon Township, chairs the transportation committee and sees the sale of any land along the U.S. 127 corridor as a no go.

"Once you sell it," she said, "it is gone." Even over on the House Appropriations Committee, there's sympathy toward hanging onto the land. "It is not enough to make a big dent in some of the issues we're facing in the state," said Rep. Joan Bauer, D-Lansing. This past spring, the state faced a nearly a $785 million deficit for the current bud Continued From 1A taxpayers) own the land," Jones said. As recently as 2008, the state was purchasing land on the project, which is estimated to cost more than $400 million, according to transportation officials.

The state isn't actively seeking land to buy, but will consider buying land that owners are desperate to get rid It could be a hardship case where a person passes away and survivors want to sell despite a down-turned market Staying the course As of spring, the state had set aside about $4 million for the freeway expansion, including land purchases. "It makes sense to stay the course until we're in a position to do something," said Bill Shreck, director of communications for MDOT, expressing the department's position to keep the land and look for new opportunities to buy. "Right now we've got the environmental clearance," he said. Some officials question the more than $400 million price tag, anyway, saying it will be get year. Senators, too, appear dedicated to finishing the freeway.

State Sea Alan Cropsey, R-DeWitt, who represents a portion of the region where the freeway would run, lashed out at the Democratic-run administration over its willingness to spend what he said was $30 million to study construction of a bridge over the Detroit River. He estimated the cost of such a bridge to total $3 billion. That's money, he said, that could have gone to upgrade US. 127, what he called a "dangerous stretch of highway from St Johns to Ithaca." Upgrading "should have been done," he said. Jones, who still farms corn and soybeans on 300 acres and also works for General Motors doesn't expect the freeway to be built for another 20 years.

He doesn't hold that against the state or lawmakers, though, and noted that the state does try to make some money off the land by renting to area farmers. "They thought they were going to still have money to build this," Jones said. "They didn't see the economic downturn coming." Of. 35v Buying for the future Choose from three new entrees: Parmesan Crusted Tilapia, Shrimp Scallop Skewers, or Grilled Chilean Steelhead. This limited time offer features a salad, entree and personal dessert.

ca ui -ST. Garfield Rd. For about five decades, the state has been planning to extend the U.S. 127 freeway north of St Johns, but today 16 miles of slow-moving, at grade pavement remains. Travelers using this major north-south corridor must drop from 70 mph to 55 mph between Ithaca in Gratiot County and St Johns in Clinton County.

In all that time, the state Department of Transportation has purchased more than $172 million in real estate in preparation for extending the freeway. It's only a smattering of the land that would be needed to connect the expressways to the north and south. Construction of a freeway could cost more than $400 million and not even be completed for decades from now. Officials, though, want to continue to acquire land and hang on to what they have already purchased, even if it means keeping hundreds of acres off of local tax rolls. MITCHELL'S FISH MARKET' SEAFOOD RESTAURANT BAR i Cleveland Rd.

MP r- Eastwood Towne Center 517.482.3474 www.MitchellsFishMarket.com if Gratiot Co. line I i E. Roosevelt Rd. AJrria I Q3p I LRangerRd. 1 Ithaca GRATIOT COUNTY 55 MPH Lfr SPEED LIMIT Wilson Rd.

MAP AREA Jo OP TD CLINTON AM COUNTY zjj StJohrX- GRATIOT COUNTY I Gratiot Rd i Uncle Johns Cider Mill I DC The Emerald Golf CourseV i 5 Get 0 S.M.A.R.T. jW. Maple Rapids Rd. Purchase Parcel No. price 1 $213,005 2 $168300 3 $230,000 4 $177370 5.., $93300 6 $89,900 7 $146,900 8 $140,000 9 $360,000 10 $311,600 $200,000 13 $1,857,780 14 $220,000 15 $112,000 16 $400,000 17.

$36,000 18 $102,500 19 $145,000 20 $68,400 21 $172,000 22 $986,250 23 $920,000 24 $96,000 25 $855,000 26 $204,335 27 $635,000 29 $609,000 30 $1,112,000 31 $119300 32 $175,000 33 $200,000 34 $430,000 35 $317,495 36 $144,900 37 $149300 38 $219,000 39 $80,000 40 $160,025 41 $115,500 42 $80,000 43 $94,000 44 $88,000 45 $447,000 46 $465,024 47 $419,000 48 $73,000 49 $140,000 50 $103,000 51 $253,000 52 $42,000 53 $145,000 54 $127,700 55 $230,000 56 $355,000 57 $120,000 58 $118,000 59 $336,500 60 $128,000 61 NA 62 NA 63...... NA 64 NA Not on map Properties are north of map area, but still in the 55 mph zone, Parcel Number 11-016-005-10 $78,000 11-017-001-10 $343,365 $99300 iU Source: Michigan Department of Transportation, Clinton County, Gratiot County Um interest 52.000 It on balances up to $100,000 guaranteed when you open a Flagstar S.M.A.R.T. checking account for 12 months CLINTON COUNTY 51,000 I ce I i fit if I $10,000 J25O00 $50,000 SIOOOOO Twin Oaks Golf Course 5 MTW.Mead Rd. II W. French Rd.

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