MARTINSVILLE — The four alternate Interstate 69 routes proposed by INDOT could affect several historic landmarks in Morgan County, according to community leaders.
The routes being considered are in addition to the Ind. 37 route from Martinsville to Interstate 465.
Potential routes could encroach on significant structures and further disturb stargazing at the Goethe Link Observatory Space Science Center, said obeservatory executive director Greg McCauley.
Telescope views from the observatory site on Ind. 67 already have been disturbed by the bright lights from billboards, convenience stores, gas stations, industrial plants and warehouses, he said.
McCauley said the I-69 West Alternative B Route would cross Ind. 67 just south of Mooresville at Flagstaff Business Park, about a mile from the center. And there are historic barns, old school houses, rural land and farms that will lose their country charm, he added.
Area resident Clay Jones said one of the routes — B or D — would go through a barn on his family property that dates before the Civil War. The route would disrupt part of their 88-acre farm, a historic homestead passed down to Jones and his siblings.
“I’ve been trying to get the barn on the historic register. It’s a complicated process,” Jones said. “A lady came out to inspect it, and because of the wooden peg nails in the main barn, she said it was probably built in the 1860s. It’s been added to through the years. A section was built in 1931, and my dad made some improvements to it in 1999, especially on the roof.”
Jones is a member of the Greater Mooresville Advisory Committee that opposes the alternate routes. He spoke when INDOT had its public information meeting at Mooresville High School. His home on Jones Way, a long lane just off Greencastle Road. Several family members live nearby, he said.
Jones’ parents, Robert and Alice Jones, bought the farm in 1969 from a member of the Keith family. His father died in 2007. His mother died earlier this month.
“I’m glad they aren’t here to see what might be coming. Dad worked so hard on this place,” Jones said.
Jones is not sure what they will do — stay put or move — but the acreage is dear to him and he hopes they won’t have to sell. However, they have received letters notifying them of surveying on the property. He looked out into the valley behind the barn. He feels it’s necessary for INDOT to listen to the people regarding routes and interchanges.
Gail Featherstone, who lives near Brooklyn on Henderson Ford Road, said if the B or D routes are chosen, it will disrupt her view and add noise she doesn’t think they can live with. She has children in Martinsville schools.
“The highway won’t take our home, but early on we did see a surveyor put a stake in our yard. I’m not sure, though, if that was concerning I-69,” Featherstone said. “According to the latest maps, the route would be about a half mile in front of our house. The interchange would be on Centenary Road.”
Featherstone said her family “won’t stay if it comes through here. We moved to the country for peace and quiet. I-69 will take away our lifestyle and lower our property value. The construction traffic will be such a mess, and then we’ll have all the noise and dirt.
“The big picture is so devastating to the environment. I heard Gov. (Mike) Pence speaking at the Section 5 (Bloomington to Martinsville) dedication — he said he was so proud of the highway. Does he know what all those people have gone through? I have a feeling he won’t be in office long.”
The Goethe Link Observatory has been a part of the Morgan County area since it was built in 1939 by the Indiana University Department of Astronomy. It’s located on a hilltop 4-1/2 miles south of Mooresville on Ind. 67. It is jointly managed by IU, the Indiana Astronomical Society and the Link Observatory Space Science Center.
McCauley gave an impassioned talk to the community and for a WTIU-TV video about what the B route could do to the observatory.
The observatory already provides science, technology, engineering and math education initiatives for Morgan County schools, and plans are being developed for expansion of the facility, McCauley said.
“In addition to these important educational programs, the Link Observatory has been a valued public destination for many decades for informal education in astronomy and observing the night sky through the observatory telescope,” McCauley said. “Thousands of visitors from the general public, local scouting troops, after-school programs and summer youth programs value this rare and historic place as an ideal location for night-time astronomical observing — it’s one of Indiana’s treasures.”
McCauley has formally requested that route option B be removed from the list of alternative routes due to its negative impact on Link Observatory.
“It could render the site unusable for our current operations and future plans of expansion,” McCauley said.