Taking a hit from connector road.(LIFE - HOME)(GARDENING)

Washington Times, The, January, 2008

Byline: Ruth Hepner, THE WASHINGTON TIMES

Any day now, Maryland State Highway Administration contractors are coming with chain saws and bulldozers to cut down my trees, level my hill and excavate my back yard.

They promise to give back my land in 39 months, with no trees or plants and no hill but three inches of topsoil and maybe some grass seed or mulch. About a third of it will be designated a perpetual easement, with the back edge a sound-barrier wall.

I am not alone. More than 400 other homeowners are receiving similar treatment, some better, some worse, during construction of the 18.8-mile highway known as the Intercounty Connector (ICC).

Because I have been an enthusiastic gardener for many years, I stand to lose more...