"No winners here": Stanislaus County expressway to roll through homes
MODESTO -- Tucked away on 23 acres of land, among the rows of an orchard, sits the English-style home of Vicki and Wolfgang Bach that they've called home since 1980.
Dr. Vicki Bach is a well-known pediatrician and Wolfgang Bach is an author and researcher, both immigrants. Vicki is originally from the Philippines and Wolfgang is from Berlin, Germany. They moved to Modesto in 1979 and spent a year building their dream home where they would go on to raise their daughter and make more than 40 years of memories.
Their future in that home has changed after a unanimous vote by the Stanislaus County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday that started the process to obtain eminent domain to get property for the North County Corridor Expressway Project. Now, the couple just wants to protect their American Dream.
The project, which has been in the works since 2010, will be an 18-mile realignment of State Route 108 around Modesto, Riverbank, and Oakdale. Phase 1 would realign the highway through the Bachs' home, where it stands now, as well as two other homes.
"They've raised their child there [and had] family events for 43 years now. They never thought when they left the Philippines, for Wolfgang he left East Berlin, the wall was still up, they didn't think 43 years of living in a home the government could come in and take their home," said the Bachs' attorney Gerald Brunn.
Brunn spoke at the board of supervisors meeting on Tuesday reiterating concerns for the Bachs' home noting their age, as Wolfgang Bach turned 85 on Wednesday, the day after the board's vote.
Now, litigation will follow to determine the value of the Bachs' property, but it's not about the money, Brunn explained to CBS13.
"There's no amount of money that can replace this property," said Brunn.
What is the North County Corridor Project?
The final project will be an 18-mile realignment of State Route 108 around Modesto, Riverbank and Oakdale broken into four phases that will ultimately link together to create the final project.
Phase 1 of the project will create a new four-lane access-controlled expressway, a new interchange at Roselle Avenue, grade-separated structures over the Burlington Northern Santa Fe rail line, Terminal Avenue, and the Modesto Irrigation District Main Canal, and new frontage roads to maintain access to adjacent properties.
The first phase is located in the area from Oakdale Road to Claus Road. It's this area, along Oakdale Road, where the Bachs' built their "dream" home and have lived for more than four decades.
"We're blessed with an excellent board of supervisors. I think they're empathetic," said Brunn.
The project hasn't been without impacts, as noted by multiple Stanislaus County Supervisors on Tuesday before the eminent domain vote. The decision to route the realignment through the Bachs' home was one of "many" options discussed and presented over the last ten years.
The Stanislaus County Public Works Director & Road Commissioner compiled the number of public meetings for CBS13 since 2008. 2008: 8 meetings; 2009: 12 meetings; 2010: 6 meetings; 2011: 8 meetings; 2012: 5 meetings; 2013: 4 meetings; 2014: 3 meetings; 2015: 2 meetings; 2016: 5 meetings; 2017: 5 meetings; 2018: 2 meetings; 2019: 1 meeting.
In total, there were 61 meetings held over 11 years at Tenth Street Place in the Chambers for the public to attend, according to the county.
"There's not going to be 100% winners in this thing, unfortunately," said Terry Withrow a Stanislaus County Supervisor.
That sentiment echoed by others in the meeting and on the board: "There are gonna be impacts, but these are the least impacts that the project team could find."
Brunn said he feels like the supervisors understand the seriousness of what it means to take private land, but is concerned about his clients.
"I don't think anyone in that room can appreciate what the Bachs' are losing, in their 80s, poor health, and having to look for a new home, essentially," said Brunn.
Details about the project can be found online.