Concerns about letters received from ICF, TxDOT's consulting firm:
• Residents along RM 1826 were sent a non-certified letter from TxDOT's consulting firm ICF dated 1/25/2024, indicating their property might be affected by this project. There was no prior notice.
- When and where were the prior public meetings for input?
- The letter's envelope lacked TxDOT's reference and seemed like junk mail, possibly overlooked by affected property owners.
- David Young's incorrect contact email for setting up meetings added to the issue.
- Did all affected property owners have their individual meetings with ICF and TxDOT? Were follow-ups done for non-responders?
• Individual property owner meetings occurred in February 2024, where TxDOT disclosed their intent to acquire specific portions of property for right-of-way (ROW) and shared their design.
- Property owners were told that by the fall of 2024 they should expect appraisers on their property and offers to purchase following this.
• The next letter received from ICF was undated and postmarked 2/20/2024 announcing a 3/7/2024 public meeting.
• The next letter received dated 3/1/2024 requested a Right-of-Entry agreement.
- The Right-of-Entry letters bolded urgency about sending the agreement within 15 days felt misleading, despite the final sentence stating otherwise.
• If a property owner did not send the agreement back based on the first letter they received a second letter dated 3/29/2024 with increased urgency.
- This letter stated that if ICF did not receive the right-of-entry agreement within 15 days, it would be considered a denial to TxDOT.
- Confusion arises from the contradictory statements regarding when property owners are "required" to grant TxDOT right-of-entry. If at all?
• ICF and TxDOT are creating a false sense of urgency to expedite the ROW acquisition process, without sufficient public input or alternative proposals.
• When TxDOT tells property owners that they want to purchase a specific amount of their land based on the design presented, that surveyors are coming, that appraisers will be here in the fall, and then offers will be made to purchase, what else are they to assume than that TxDOT is steamrolling forward on the project design as presented in the 3/7/2024 public meeting?
• We demand a halt to the ROW purchase process until stakeholders have adequate input and call on TxDOT to present alternatives to the proposed project.
