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Homeowners In Cicero Will Lose Land Because Of I-81 Project Homeowners In Cicero Will Lose Land Because Of I-81 Project

By Gabrielle Riles

Reporter: When Gary Radford and his family moved into their house they did not think that the interstate behind their property will be expanding right into their back yard.

Radford: “Is it just going to be more right away are they going to change the drainage back there. Is the highway actually going to be closer to the house. These are all things that we haven’t gotten an answer for yet.”

Reporter: Radford created a backyard that he enjoys. He planted a garden, trees and raised bees for honey. Gary says he would prefer to keep the backyard and scenery that he created, but he doesn’t think he would be able to go against the state.

Radford: “It’s hard to fight city hall..it’s very hard to go up against the federal and state government on these public work projects and be able to successfully sue them and win”)

Reporter: Radford says that some of his neighbors are considering selling their property and moving because of the potential noise. He hopes that the city will start to contact everyone and let them know what their plans are for the area.

Radford:”They need to get the information out there to the people … everybody’s in the dark right now”.

Reporter: “34 years ago these trees were grown to create a sound barrier between homes and I-81. Now once, the project starts these trees will be torn down and there will no longer be a sound barrier for residents.”

Reporter: Paul Ossenbruggen is a civil engineer expert that has focused on highways and bridge infrastructure for over 50 years. He says that residents has every right to be considered with the noise level from I-81.

Ossenbruggen: “It’s going to be higher and wider, no one wants to live next to a structure like that.”)

Reporter: Ossenbruggen says that the best option for the city and is to stick with a community grid so residents won’t have much traffic in their backyards.

Ossenbruggen: “that is the proper type of road way to have.”

Syracuse. N.Y. (NCC NEWS) – Gary Radford moved into his home in 1985. He and his wife purchased the property after their wedding and created a backyard that their family would love.

“We knew the highway was going to be there but we felt that it wouldn’t be a distraction to us,” said Radford.

The Radfords are beekeepers and they have about a dozen hives in their backyard. They produce honey and sell it to the public. They also created a garden and over the years they have a hard apple, cherry, and peach trees.

Radford says he planted 150 Norwegian spruce trees that would grow to about 40 feet tall to create a sound barrier between the interstate and his home.

With the future community grid coming behind his property, Radford knows that those trees must come down.

“My question is how do they know till the highway is built what is the noise level going to be,” Radford said.

Radford says he would like the state to build an actual sound barrier wall between the new interstate and the homes, but he isn’t too sure if they will do it.

“I feel like they know a lot more about the project then they’re letting on at this point,” said Radford.

Radford says there are a lot of things that he and his neighbors are unsure about because the state has not communicated with them about the future of their properties.

“Public projects for the greater good of the society they can come and take your land legally … sometimes you have to bite the bullet and go for the greater good of society,” said Radford.

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