Is a Rare Flower Worth Stopping a Government Project in Lebanon?
If the words "Spring Creek bladderpod" were alien to you prior to this week, you're in good company. The rare flower is only found in certain spots around Lebanon in Wilson County. One of those locales happens to be on property owned by Jim and Sandy Donnell.
The Donnells made news yesterday with an objection to a city sewer line set to run through their back yard. They say the project will cause undue disturbance to the bladderpod's habitat. The city says it won't. In the midst of the stalemate looms the specter of eminent domain.
The thought of the government bullying its way through our vegetable garden is enough to send us running for our muskets. This visceral reaction is understandable: eminent domain is a holdover from English rule. And if it weren't for the 5th amendment, which limited intrusion for public use only and required just compensation, families like the Donnells would be doubly screwed.
It is for this reason that we're apt to side with the Donnells. But that'd be ignoring the larger issue.
Although claiming private land remains a sin in our book, it is the option of last resort for the city. What hasn't been reported is that the Donnells are not alone in being inconvenienced: the proposed sewer line passes through 30 properties. They're the only family not to sign.
While the funny-sounding plant is getting most of the press, the problem, says Lebanon city engineer Chuck Boyett, can be boiled down to something much simpler.
"The bladderpod is not the issue here," he says. "The bottom line is the Donnells don't want (the sewer line) on their property. And I can't blame them for that."
