Putting a LID on gas loans

Three women do not want a natural gas line run to their property.

The rest of their neighbors do, and through a borough loan program will get the line built along their street.

Each home owner will have a lien placed on their home until they pay off what amounts to a low-interest loan from the Mat-Su Borough for paying the gas company to extend the line including the three women who do not want gas lines run to their property.

Majority rules?

Unlawful seizure of property without just compensation?

Perhaps a bit of both.

Carol Moen, Lillian Albrecht and Katherine Hamilton should have the right to opt out of the program, and not have their properties put in danger of foreclosure.

They say they are living on fixed incomes and simply cannot afford to pay for a convenience they do not need. Moens house, for instance, is heated with oil.

But their neighbors also have the right to ask for the convenience of piped-in gas without having to sign up each and every homeowner in the area.

The program will cost each lot owner approximately $1,600 per lot spread over the 10-year life of the 8.8-percent-interest loan.

Having a natural gas line running to a home, or even the convenience of having a line tap available on a currently unoccupied lot, is sure to add more than $1,600 to the price of the home come selling time and may lower heating bills.

At least that is what the three ladies neighbors are hoping will occur.

If a lot owner chooses not to join the program at this time, so be it.

But if that owner or a new owner who purchases the property decides they want to tap into the gas main at a later time, there should be a substantial penalty that will be paid to the gas company for tapping into a preexisting line and also, some form of reimbursement for the neighbors who planned ahead.

Frontiersman