A project to widen and repave a narrow, curvy, crumbling road is good for everyone, right?

Not everyone, says Clifford Harris, who addressed the County Commission last week. The county is buying some of his and his neighbors' property under condemnation to make room for widening Swanson Road near Tyrone, and Harris said the result will be more than just a little annoyance.

The project will leave Harris and his neighbors with less than an acre each, making their homes difficult to sell in land-conscious Fayette County, he said. Also, his house will now be closer to the street, severely reducing his privacy and increasing danger to children, he added.

The residents should receive more than market value for their homes to pay for privacy fences and compensate them for lost value, Harris argued, adding that the homes were built about a year ago while the county has planned the road widening for about two years. Residents shouldn't have to suffer due to "poor planning" on the part of the county," he said.

Commissioners gave Harris sympathy, but no more money. "From time to time we are faced with difficult decisions which require us to balance the overall public benefit with the consequences and impacts on individuals," said commission chairman Harold Bost in a prepared statement.