HomeMy WebLinkAboutRoad Widdening Issue to Historic House-1994F
Road widening may level
• • couple's historic house
~' By Elaine Bennett said the house was perfect for
rial; OF THE SENTINEL STAFF them because it allowed her to
•
/— �-7-q V`� make and sell crafts and still care
' 1•• for her ailing husband. William
•
cs, 1 ,. WINTER SPRINGS — Zandi Morris, 58, broke his back several
• Morris dreams of watching in dis- months after they married 18
cif .. - --v tress as a bulldozer lurches for- years ago and h
'..;. y g d as been unable
ward, then knocks down a por- to work since.
`� 9'.
i `` tion of the home she shares with "We live off Social Security
her husband.
>l K+ .4•11.., * C. and whatever I make from the
(+i t �� .'_':': k` ..•,� Her nightmare could become crafts," said Morris, 53, who is
�. a reality unless the couple find the partially blind and unable to
+ �' ""' ..,� . •-. money to move their home from drive. "If I lose this house, I lose
,,
�Yr . N - ' �p� ` the path of the proposed widen- my business,our livelihood."
,� �,;:'°. . 37 '; �► .T ing of State Road 434 in Winter
�, 3 :: ; Construction of the 1.8-mile
a Springs. stretch of S.R.434 between Coun-
.�, The structure is more than an
.,,,_ - ;�,•°,,r.. ., old home. Morris runs her craft ty Road 419 and cost about $4
mil-
business from it.The location,es- is expected to cost about $4 mil-
pecially when lighted during the said and begin in Homan, spokesman
man
Christmas holidays, attracts ford hteve Homan, spokesman
enough customers to provide for the state Department of
Morris with an income. Transportation. Another $600,000
Morris said she and her Sus will be paid to supervise the pro-
band learned of their dilemma Ject.
DENNIS WALL/SENTINEL eight years ago, six months after The state is trying to acquire
Morris home has a crafts business and is a beacon to customers at Christmas. they moved into the home. She Please see WIDENING, 1-4
94/ o/ 02 7
Morris hopes to move 89-y ear-old house
WIDENING from 1-1 ment's Carlton to find a way to prices for all her crafts, which she
move the two-story home 30 to 40 said must be sold to cut an esti-
feet farther south of where it mated $10,000 fee to temporarily
ownership of 42 parcels of land,
including that of the Morrises stands on the side of S.R. 434,just store her inventory. She said that
that lie in the path of the four- to east of C.R.419. if she doesn't trim that cost and
six-lane highway,with an estimat- only drawback is whether it the fee to move the house is too
ed$6.5 million. would be feasible to save the high, the state would pay an un-
home, which was built in 1905 specified amount to compensate
Steve Carlton, a DOT right-of- and owned by Nancy B. Giles, the couple for being forced to
way specialist, said the state has wife of Orlando's first mayor, J.L. move into another home. The
completed negotiations with most Giles. Morris has not obtained an state is trying to find a compara-
property owners affected by the estimate for the move. ble home, and recently offered to
widening. Talks are continuing If the house can be moved, it move the Morrises into a larger
with a few who want more money would take up much of the exist- house with a barn in Oviedo.
than offered for their property or ing lot and face west instead of Morris rejected the offer, saying
need smaller buildings or signs north. the move would mean a loss in
on their land moved,he said. revenue for her craft business,
The MorriseL. however are the But even those concessions which she said is strategically lo-
don t matter much to Morris. which
and continues to attract new
only property owners considering "There would be less room, but
customers.
moving an entire house. She has I don't have time to mow the
until Feb. 21 to decide whether to
relocate the structure or have it grass anyway," she said. "I just "We just want this all behind
torn down and move into another want to be here in my old, old fall- us," Morris said. "You can't imag-
home. ing-down house. I'm happy right ine the stress we have been un-
here." der. We just want to move the
Morris is working with an attor- In preparation for the move, house to the back yard and go on
ney and the transportation depart- Morris has significantly reduced with our lives."
980 /027