by Ben Nuelle
A central Iowa farmer loses longstanding land battle with the Iowa Department of Transportation.
Larry Cleverley farms in Mingo, Iowa. He raised concerns about an interchange affecting his land at the Iowa Transportation Commission?s monthly meeting Tuesday.
Cleverley says a traffic analysis report he helped pay for showed using J turns near his farm instead of an interchange would save the state $14 million. He proposed his idea to the commission but they voted 4-3 against reviewing his proposal as a separate item on the June meeting agenda.
Cleverley says until the structure of the commission changes nothing is going to change.
?I just don?t know what to say. I am so disappointed that they refused to take into the account the financial aspects of this matter. They are just spending money like it?s a never-ending stream. By g-d, when Trombino stands at the statehouse and is going to by p**sed off about losing $9 million. I?m going to sit at home and laugh.?
Iowa DOT Director Paul Trombino says he reached out to the group who analyzed the interchange. He says the J turn is not an option.
?It has a series of issues because of Geo-metrics, because of topography because there is a height difference overall. There?s a stream bed there which pushes the J turn out even further so there is a lot of height issues besides truck traffic.?
