Eminent domain and the ongoing development of the Mountain Parkway Expansion have left a widow in the dark, hoping for answers before it’s too late to save one of the only things she has left of her late husband.
Janet Arnett’s Magoffin County home has been a hub of hope and love for generations of family members.
The property was purchased in 1969 and, from there, Arnett worked with her late husband Lowell to carve out a special space in Salyersville. Though the family lived in a couple of different mobile homes on the property over the years, in 1998 they built Arnett’s permanent home. Or, so she thought.
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So, when news of the last segment of the Mountain Parkway Expansion came to Magoffin County during a community meeting, the family was shocked to learn that the development would demolish the homeplace that built them.
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Arnett said the developers had visited over the years, warning that she may lose a small piece of her land to the new road. But the current plan shows the road running through the middle of her 63-acre property, which means her home will be demolished.
“We don’t want her to be collateral damage for a project that has been in the works for years,” said her daughter, Lanessa DeMarchis.
The family said they have contacted the county, the transportation cabinet, local representatives, and Gov. Andy Beshear’s office about the situation, but have yet to feel heard in any meaningful way.
After requesting that the road be moved in front of or behind the home, they claim they were told there are development and structural issues that make that impossible. So, Arnett requested to move her home from its current foundation to a lower piece of the property. However, she claims officials told her there is no room for a septic tank to be installed for a move of that caliber.
“I mean, if I want to build the road, that’s fine. But just leave me alone. Build it in front of me; build it behind me. You know, I just want to stay at my house. Here,” Arnett pleaded. “Why did it have to come through my house?”
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