Mill Creek Park bike trail plans challenged by Cutrona, property owners

As part of a House version of Ohio's proposed budget, Representative Al Cutrona has added language to stop Mill Creek Park from using eminent domain to establish a bike trail for public use.
 
"They're cutting right through the property owners front yards and backyards," said Al Cutrona, State Representative, (R-OH). "It's cutting through areas where people literally make their living. There's farmers out there where their livelihood could be taken away from them."
 
Mill Creek Park officials say they are disappointed with Cutrona's proposal, saying the money has already been set aside to complete the third phase of the bike trail which would cut into 13 people's private property.
 
"This does not stop our progress," said Aaron Young, Executive Director of Mill Creek Park. "We are going to move forward with the current appropriation process. We are going to allow the legal process to play itself out. We believe in our system."
 
"We love our land," said Diane Less, a property owner affected by this proposal. "We're not interested in selling it to anyone, let alone people that just want to come across it and recreate."
 
Diane Less told 21 News she will lose the use of 38 acres of her property if Mill Creek Park creates the third phase of the bike trail. 
 
"Our neighbors to the south, they're actually going to cut their farm in half," Less said. "They will be put out of business. My neighbor to the north makes his living from that property. He'll be completely out of a living."
 
"We should go a different route," Cutrona said. "We should do something other than destroy people's lives. Some people are losing up to 50 acres. When you're a farmer, that is your livelihood."
 
Less said Mill Creek Park offered her an unreasonable amount of money to use part of her property and said there are several alternatives in creating the bike path that doesn't cross private property.
 
"I don't come into your yard and pick pansies," Less said. "It's property right's. This is America. We own our property."
 
The budget plan, under House Bill 110, will now move to the Senate.