Published: October 30, 2009 10:14 am      

Property rights must come first

Loop roadway projects have always been tough, but they’re even tougher now.

The need for a loop around San Marcos, both east and west, is certainly obvious. The private property issues such concepts create, however, can make these monsters pretty ugly.

It’s a delicate balancing act in which the public need and private rights butt heads.

There is often no clear right or wrong answer to these confrontations.

It seems, however, that the way these projects are planned, the amount of public notice given and the avoidance of heavy-handed tactics can go a long way toward creating some common ground for these roadways.

Still, despite the legalities which allow private lands to be forcefully “purchased” for some of these projects, private property rights should get top priority.

The ownership of property is an important and basic American right which all too often these days gets tossed aside in the name of progress.

Such actions should be the rare exception and not the rule of thumb when public project planners start building up a head of steam. RHR