'The Settlement' faces wrecking ball
Crews are expected to begin razing 13 homes next week, and dozens more along the
Some homeowners took buyouts offered by the government and many are considering such a deal. Meanwhile, others vow to stay in family homesteads that date back several generations when their immigrant ancestors achieved the American dream of home ownership.
One thing's for sure, though. This former coal mining village will never look the same.
"Probably the prettiest part of the town is going to be leveled. It's going to be like missing teeth -- one home here, two there," said
Then, the wrath of Tropical Storm Lee and the record flooding in
"I came back here to live happily ever after, but the past four years have been a nightmare," said Evina, who worked for the
Evina remodeled his
Years later, as business boomed, the coal company hired famed architect
"It really is a testament to the coal company, which built and ran this town. This wasn't your typical coal patch. Your typical coal company house was like a slum," Evina said. "This was a crown jewel of their investments. To build something like this for average workers and to be concerned about landscaping and decorative embellishments, it really is unusually."
Most of the approximately 90 dwellings on the west side of the railroad tracks that divide the town are eligible for a government buyout.
All 13 buildings being demolished first are Atterbury-designed cottages between
"I'm not taking it," said Mitchell, who lives at the corner of River and Lincoln streets. "I have a camper right there. I got a boat and I have steps right down to the river."
Anyone who decides to stay will have to abide by strict new rules about living in the flood plain, township officials warn.
Residents could be required to raise all utilities -- such as heating systems and electrical boxes -- to above water levels from the last flood. And if the home sustains flooding damage again that amounts to more than 50 percent of the home's worth, homeowners would have to raise the home many feet off the ground, making the current first floor the second floor.
"It's going to be hard to live in the floodplain," said
But for many people, the riverside community is all they know.
homes
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"I'm contemplating staying here until I die -- or until the river takes me," said
Sale prices for homes that were bought out range from
Gurzynski's home, like others on
"This is our homestead. Where we gonna go at our age anyway?" Kubasek said. "What they want to do is make this a ghost town."
The homes to be demolished next week were buyouts associated through a program run by the
About 25 other homeowners are seeking a buyout through federal disaster recovery money the
Many in town say they struggle weighing the risk of flooding against the tranquility of living in the isolated neighborhood with scenic views of the river and mountain range.
Whitebread said he understands people love the geography on the majority of days, but when the river rises "it's like living next to a monster."
"But it's also taking people out of harm's way," Brozena said.
The federal government is committed to getting all properties out of flood plains around the country, especially following large insurance payouts after major metropolitan flooding caused by Hurricane Katrina and Hurricane Sandy, Brozena said.
"The National Flood Insurance Program is very deep in debt," Brozena said. "The country can no longer afford to pay homeowners to go back into harm's way."
Brozena said buyout offers continue to be made and those properties "will come down in the fall."
After the properties are knocked down, the land will be owned by
Evina said it appears the eventual destiny of the land will come full circle and be returned to the way it was before the coal company gobbled up the farmland for a trend-setting coal miner village.
"It's ironic," Evina said. "This area is going to go back to open space again."
570-821-2055, @cvbobkal
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