WAGONER, Okla. — Wagoner City Council voted June 4 to pursue a grant allowing for designs to put an end to its 20+ train crossings a day on Highway 51.
However, the high-attendance special city council meeting began its public comment period with lots of doubts about a concept drawing released to the public just days before that included potential eminent domain, i.e. houses being destroyed to make room for new road infrastructure.
"I have friends (in California) who had their houses destroyed because of it with the eminent domain," one Wagoner neighbor said. "And the ones right across the street from them who still had their homes, their property values dropped like you wouldn't believe."
The concept drawing included building a half-loop for the state highway around the south of downtown that would bypass the railroad crossings that have long plagued the town with delays for drivers and pedestrians alike.
County commissioner Randy Stamps and engineer Rachel Cooper of Cross Timbers Consulting tried to quell the concerns of the drawings.
WATCH: Wagoner approves pursuing grant for ending railroad crossing delays
Cooper made the case the concept drawing she did for the county was by no means a final blueprint, but rather proof to the Oklahoma Department of Transportation that it should award a major grant for a future design.
"We're just showing feasibility," Cooper told the council. "The highest scoring, most impactful project would be the 51 highway. If we're awarded the grant, the latitude to design and make changes is available. There would be no design review team that did not include the City of Wagoner."
"We've heard about these railroads for years," Stamps said. "And so, if we want it, fine, that's what I was trying to do. But if the public doesn't want it (eventually), then good. I'll close up shop and I'll go do something else."
Despite Mayor Dalton Self's skepticism, a majority of the audience on hand and the city council was convinced that at least qualifying for a grant to eventually settle on a design, which the city reportedly would not have to pay any money toward, was worth approving.
The council overwhelmingly voted in favor, with one abstention.
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