Neighbors Not Ready to Welcome Herzog Expansion Plans to the Neighborhood

A proposed change in scenery leaves some Midland Empire residents on edge... Herzog`s plan to expand in south-east St. Joseph is no secret...but, it doesn`t sit well with some. It`s a quiet, peaceful neighborhood, a reason why Don Jackson and his family decided to move here. "It`s rural, it`s agricultural, and it`s residental," says concerned neighbor, Don Jackson. But Jackson and other neighbors....are afraid that sooner rather than later...the landscape around them will change. All because railcar repair company Herzog is making plans to expand. "We`ve got the concerns about the property value here. We got the concerns of heavier trucks moving equipment in and out of here. So you`ve hot added noise and added traffic," says concerned neighbor Bob Smith. Herzog wants to take over 176 acres of land on east of Saxton Avenue and Riverside Road...and that`s not sitting well with neighbors. In this case....the fear of the unknown is raising eyebrows and questions. "They wouldn`t have it rezoned if they didn`t have a plan...but they`re not willing to reveal that plan at this time," says Jackson. Kit Blake has lived here for 30 years....she worries the sights and sounds from her front porch will change if Herzog moves in. "I love the peace and quiet that the country gives...and this being a residential area with that across the streets it`s not going to be what it was," says Blake. Herzog reps say they don`t have grand plan for the expansion, but they know extra space means greater production. And as far bringing noise to the neighborhood...they say that can`t be avoided. "The mystery of them not telling what they plan to do..and acting like they don`t know, any good business man kinda has a plan before they make a purchase like that, so I believe that they do know what they intend to do..and they`re not telling us and that makes me have more cause for concern," says concerned neighbor, Blake. Buchanan County`s Planning and Zoning board recommends rezoning the land from agriculture to heavy industrial. Residents will get to weigh-in during a public hearing...but Buchanan County Commissioners have the final say.