Angry crowd opposes tollway link between Bush Turnpike, I-30
“A large and often angry crowd provided almost unanimous opposition Monday night to a proposed toll road that would link Bush Turnpike with Interstate 30 near Greenville.
Neal Barker of the Texas Turnpike Corp. was interrupted repeatedly at the nearly full 1,500-seat Rockwall High School Performing Arts Center as he tried to present an overview of the Northeast Gateway toll project.
On the sensitive issue of eminent domain, which the company can impose, Barker stressed: “We want to be good neighbors. … We want your feedback.”
But when he said the turnpike corporation had to follow the same procedures as public entities, some in the audience shouted, “Bribery.” And when Barker described the eminent domain process, another yelled, “You’re a crook.”
Finally, Michael Morris, who heads the transportation department for the North Central Texas Council of Governments, took the microphone.
“Hold it, hold it, let them finish their presentation, and then we’ll turn it over to you,” he said, to a smattering of applause.
Barker waded back into the eminent domain issue, describing the process: the appraisals, negotiations with property owners, and, after 30 days, a final offer.”
Young, Micheal. Dallas News 22 September 2014.