For the Greater Good--Yeah Right

Alas poor Lloyd, I knew him well.

It seems that the state, by way of the Department of Transportation, has once again come back to nab more land from the Goddard family in order to construct the be-all and end-all Interstate 95 exit at Temple Avenue, otherwise known as “Operation Whirligig.”  We the people would have to be pretty naïve not to think that this wasn’t “in the books” when whoever designed the former Richmond-Petersburg Turnpike back in the early ‘50s drew up the plans for the ridiculous interchange that local citizens have lived with over the ensuing six decades.

Back in those days, the mighty, mighty VDOT wrested control of most of the Goddard dairy farm, knocking down silos and scooping out well-fertilized pastures along the way simply because the property lay in the path of this great innovation for highway traffic.  Yippee, VDOT must have said as they paid a pittance in putting the family business to rest by underpaying for the land. I am sure that it seemed like a good deal at the time, but in reality maybe not so much.

And whoever designed the exit ramp there ought to be ashamed.  Maybe during those days Colonial Heights thought making an exit ramp into the city that was as convoluted as could be would cut down on the riff and the raff trying to stop here. Maybe they thought the horrible, no good, darned dirty interchange would keep the residents safe from the intrusion of real life travelers.  Who knows really, but by today’s standard it was very bad planning.  Tag onto it the way CH has become a shopping mecca, the number of transient vehicles, and the huge work population and it’s easy to see why something has to be done at the interchange.

No one in their right mind denies the inadequacy of the current interchange.  Despite the city’s numerous attempts to make the interchange safe, it still ranks as numero uno in terms of accidents per year, netting more than one a week according to 2014 statistics.  No one, not even Mr. Goddard, would deny that, well, something needs to be done.

So with that backdrop we have the seven acres left of the Goddard family’s original 97 acre dairy farm.  And, like the rest of the farm, the property sits squarely on top of the land VDOT says it needs to build its wondrous whirligig (Google “round about,” no not the song by Yes).

Down to a paltry 7 acres now, the Goddard property is among the largest pieces of land in the city.  And, in all honesty, VDOT doesn’t really want all seven acres. In fact, they are only negotiating for five acres.  Five acres leaves a measly two acres left for the Goddard dairy farm.  The two acres are for all intents and purposes useless because they will back up on the newly extended exit/entrance ramp roads.  Who would want to live there?  And the city has it zoned as commercial property to boot.

VDOT has made an offer for the property, but as one might expect its opening salvo is not necessarily what Mr. Goddard would like them to pay for five acres and his ante-bellum home.  No indeed.  So he is refusing to go quietly into that good night by not taking VDOTs measly offer and slithering out of sight.  But let’s be real.  This is the family property that dates back to the turn of the last century.  When this deal is done, and it will be done mark my words, the specter of the Goddard Dairy Farm will be just that.  A ghost; a remnant of the past, or in current lingo, History.

In order to take control of the property so that they can get their whirligig project on the road, VDOT, or probably more likely some State Attorney, will draw up eminent domain documents to take the land.  Yes, take the land.  Eminent domain, or the taking of a citizens’ property, has been around since biblical times, when King Ahab of Samaria offered Naboth compensation for Naboth's vineyard.  The problem with this is who gets to set the value for the property.  It is likely not the person who owns the property.

And so we go to valuations.  But how can anyone value the Goddard land fairly.  As it stands, it probably isn’t terribly valuable.  Look at the city’s assessment history, notably wrong in almost every respect.  Typically assessments are 10 percent lower than the actual value, since they are developed using data that is at best a year old and often closer to two years old.

So VDOT would like the property valued as low as possible.  And their attorneys and eminent domain workers will do what they can to keep a cap on the total price.  But truth be told, the whirligig won’t happen without that key piece of property.  The extended and widened on and off ramps run smack dab through the Goddard home, and the whirligig itself sits right at the edge of the property.  What kind of value do you think that has?  The Goddard property is the keystone parcel that will make the whirligig go round.

The property should be valued at highest best use.  Highest best use is not what the state would like to pay.  The state is more interested in lowest worst use.  Take into account that without that piece of land the project is dead in the water.

Let me assure you, the state is going to take this land.  No question about that.  The question is an ethical question about how the Goddard family ought to be compensated.

For me, the term “fairly” comes to mind.  Of course, fairly has a different meaning to both parties.  But let’s start with it being the highest best value of the land.  It is THE key piece of real estate for a project that many residents don’t want.  Secondly, why only take the five acres?  Why not just take the rest of the property, the additional two acres, and maybe make a park or something out of it?  It’s really a slap in the face to take all but two acres of land with questionable use once VDOT completes its project.

The main thing, I think, is that we don’t like to see our citizens handled so callously.  The Goddard family likely didn’t want to end their farm back when the state took it for the turnpike, and yet they did.  Call their sacrifice made for the betterment of the people. But here the state is again, knocking down the door to take what’s left.  Maybe it’s just me, but fair compensation ought to take in the value of the property as the key ingredient for the Temple Avenue exit.

Everyone knows the property is going to become the states.  Why not just pay the family and be done with it.  It’s a one-time deal, at least this time, and then it will be over.  Perhaps it will notch the cost of the interchange a bit, but why does the state insist on taking advantage of its citizens?  I’m not sure what is fair concerning the price of the land, but I am sure the state’s initial offering is not going to be very fair.