City postpones taking man’s home for greenway
““My savior was City Council’s conscience,” said David McCurry, whose home outside the city’s boundary on Barfield Road overlooks the river. “They could not with good conscience put me out of my home. Somebody in government wanted my property. There was absolutely no reason to route the (greenway) the way they did other than to capture my house and my five acres.”
“We hope to find a solution that Mr. McCurry feels better about and still make the greenway from New Salem Road to Barfield-Crescent Park happen,” said Crumley, noting that the city has the option to expand the greenway either on the road side or river side of McCurry’s five-acre home. “We’re looking at all the options in terms of how to accomplish the goal and be as easy as possible with Mr. McCurry. The city is not looking to take anything. We’ll try to make this work. This needs to work.”
The city, which hopes to expand its existing 12 miles of greenway by another three miles, will only take McCurry’s property as a last resort, Crumley said.”
Broden, Scott. Daily News Journal 8 June 2013.