This State Could Seize Homeowners’ Land to Build An Amish Buggy Lane – and Residents Say They’re Being Ignored

There is a plan to build a buggy lane on U.S. 6, a highway in the Nappanee, Indiana settlement. But residents of Bremen, a town in the community, say their concerns are being ignored as the plan moves forward, seemingly full speed ahead.

The Indiana Department of Transportation apparently promised residents “open houses” to discuss the topic – which reportedly never happened. It’s described as a “lack of transparency” in the report (video at bottom) from WNDU:

BREMEN, Ind. (WNDU) – Three Bremen residents say the Indiana Department of Transportation has not followed through on a promise to hold open houses about a planned reconstruction of U.S. 6 between Bremen and Nappanee.

The project would widen the highway’s northern shoulder to create a separate lane for horse and buggy traffic.

Residents Todd Huffman, Brent Snyder and Chris Snyder say they were told two years ago that INDOT would host public meetings to discuss the construction and gather community feedback, but no such conversations have taken place.

Safety is obviously a concern in this community, especially after recent serious accidents such as the one last April in which three Amish children died in a pony cart crash.

But it should be said that the men are not against helping Amish drivers with wider lanes – they just want communication – and if possible, a say – in how it’s done.

Namely, residents would like the state to build the buggy lanes using land from the state-owned south side of the road:

Rather than using homeowners’ land on the north side – which is the current plan:

Alternatively, another idea would expand another less-traveled road which runs parallel to U.S. 6.

Worst of all from their perspective – as things stand, if they don’t agree to terms of a sale, they may be forced into it one way or another:

Huffman said INDOT representatives have warned that eminent domain could be used if property agreements cannot be reached.

“They say, ‘If we can’t come to an agreement, our lawyers are going to come after you. You’re going to have to hire a lawyer and fight it.’ Or ‘We’re just going to come up with a way to basically condemn the space and take it,’” Huffman said.

According to the men, they have “repeatedly contacted” Indiana state representatives Jack Jordan and Ryan Mishler – but have gotten no response.

That, understandably, sounds like a major source of frustration here:

“I wish that they’d just call me and tell me, this is why we’re doing what we’re doing, and this is the reason for all these things. But that’s never happened. If they could tell me, this is why, maybe I would understand it and go, ‘Yep, you guys are right. Let’s move forward with this.’ But they won’t even call you. Won’t return your phone calls,” Huffman said.

This project seems to be moving right along regardless of residents’ concerns – it’s described as being in the final design phase, with the contract planned to go out for bids next month. Construction will start later this year and continue through the next.

It feels like inertia is against them, and maybe the state representatives’ alleged failure to respond to their concerns reflects this.

I just know I wouldn’t feel great either if I were a homeowner not wanting to give up land – especially if, as is suggested, state-owned land could be used to accomplish the same objective instead. And especially if I felt like I were being ignored.

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