Cape Cod families devastated their homes will be destroyed for new Sagamore Bridge project
The proposed new Sagamore Bridge on Cape Cod is something many Massachusetts drivers are looking forward to, hoping to have an easier drive in the summers ahead. But for some families, it will mean losing their homes.
The state is going to seize several homes by eminent domain, including Marc and Joan Hendel's dream home.
The Hendels moved from the Midwest to Sagamore's Round Hill community only three months ago. It is a home they designed and built themselves, with the hopes of growing old there.
"We were looking and looking. It was very hard to find a home out here that we could afford on the Cape," said Marc Hendel.
The home sits atop a hill on John's Lane, overlooking the Sagamore Bridge, which they describe as an iconic Cape Cod landmark.
"Upstairs from this very view, you can see the canal. Another reason why we chose this positioning of our home," Joan Hendel said.
What is eminent domain?
The Hendel's new homeownership bliss was abruptly cut short by a single knock on the door.
"A person from the Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassSOT) handed a letter to us. We opened it," said Marc Hendel.
"Please accept this letter as notice that your property will be affected by this project," read the letter, in part.
The notice informed the couple that the state would be seizing their property through eminent domain, which essentially means the government can take private property, paying a fair market price, and convert it for public use. In this case, it's the construction of the new bridge.
"We cried, right, because it's devastating to us. This is heartbreaking to us that they're just coldly giving us a letter that says we're going to destroy your home," said Marc Hendel.
According to MassDOT, the repossession of the Hendel's home is part of a larger effort to reduce traffic congestion on and off of the Cape. The official plan entails tearing down the Sagamore Bridge and building a new, larger bridge even closer to the Hendels' home.
The Hendels recently found out that the new bridge will not be built on their property. Instead, their land will be used as a lot for equipment during construction and eventually become a green space.
"Basically, they want to use us as a storage property for their heavy equipment," said Joan Hendel.
The Hendels are not alone in their battle to save their home. The state is also looking to take the property of some of their neighbors. Many residents in the Round Hill neighborhood have lived there for decades and have no other viable living arrangements.
"It's uprooted everything"
For more than 60 years, David and Cecilia Collins have called Round Hill home. The couple raised their children here and planned to keep their home in the family.
"My wife has lived here for even longer. Her father was John Gallow, who built this neighborhood," said David Collins. "It's uprooted everything that we've ever thought about in our whole lives of having."
The determined residents have now joined forces to understand their options amid the threat of eminent domain.
"We are speaking up, as a community, as a neighborhood family," said Joan Hendel.
According to George McLaughlin, a Boston attorney, the state must prove the project is in the public interest.
"With the Sagamore Bridge project, you're not going to be able to defeat that taking. It's clearly a public purpose, and so the sole issue is, what is the fair market value of the properties taken on the taking date," said McLaughlin.
While the Hendels and their neighbors may be forced to sell their homes, they are entitled to determine the fair market price of their houses in court.
In a statement Thursday, MassDOT said, "We understand that this can be extremely challenging for impacted property owners, and MassDOT and our representatives are committed to meeting directly with them throughout the process to answer questions and provide information about compensation, timelines, and any necessary relocations."