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December 4, 2005

Anonymous The Enid News and Eagle Sun Dec 04, 2005, 11:15 PM CST

OSU should not take homes away from senior citizens

A gross injustice is taking place in Stillwater. Oklahoma State University, under the guise of a new Master Plan, is planning on using their powers of eminent domain to take private property for a new athletic complex. I am a third generation graduate of OSU. My mother is 84 and father is 89 and also a veteran of World War II and is semi-bed fast. They live in their home which was built by my grandfather at 1110 N. Bellis. No one, not OSU, not the state of Oklahoma, not the city of Stillwater, not the U.S. government should have the right to take their home if there is any possible reasonable alternative. This action is just flat wrong, not needed and will probably result in higher fees to students.

The stakeholders that were to represent the property owners from this area in the planning process stand to profit from this. They own the most property in this area. They also are miffed at the remainder of the neighborhood for objecting to further multi-family housing encroachment into this largely moderate income single family dwelling neighborhood.

The treatment by OSU of the people of this neighborhood has been shameful. In both meetings that OSU has held on this plan, they have been started "we are not here to answer questions but to present the plan or the process." They make sure you see the eminent domain gun and that you know that an "offer you can't refuse" is coming.

I would ask all OSU graduates to contact the regents and state their objections. Contact your legislators and ask them to develop legislation that would block any university, school, unit of local government, etc., from doing this to anyone. I would ask that you withhold any donations to the OSU Foundation until this plan is either modified or scrapped. You can find out more by going to www.okstateexpansion.com.

Leonard G. Herron III

Enid

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