Linda property owners make last-ditch effort to stop state

In what even they describe as a last-ditch effort, property owners in west Linda have submitted more information to the Central Valley Flood Protection Board to stop a sliver of land from being used by the state for a levee access corridor.

Not that they expect their effort to succeed.

"The state's going to do what the state wants to do," said Monty Hecker, who owns a security firm based on one of the affected parcels along Feather River Boulevard and Riverside Drive. "I just think not all the information is being shared because a state department has something it wants to do."

Hecker said property owner Cheryl Miller, who found maps calling the flood board's decision into question, submitted them to the state earlier this month.

READ: Maps suggest ‘no man’s land’

After the flood board's final ruling last month to proceed with putting up a fence marking the correct boundary, interested parties had 30 days to petition for a reconsideration.

However, an engineer for the flood board said he has not seen anything to suggest the board's ruling wasn't correct.

"We believe the surveyor marked a parcel that included every bit of land we own right now," said Len Marino, chief engineer for the flood board.

He said Miller also submitted information suggesting the Three Rivers Levee Improvement Authority already acquired the land in question through eminent domain, but her submission refers to land on the other side of the levee.

Three Rivers Executive Director Paul Brunner did not return a call for comment on Monday.

Landowner Hecker said he is not counting on something changing, and because the state's work will include putting in a drain near his yard, he actually wants to see it go through.

Still, he said, a surveyor he talked to told him there is enough questionable material to take the matter to the county's grand jury for a possible investigation.

CONTACT Ben van der Meer at bvandermeer@appealdemocrat.com or 749-4786. Find him on Facebook at /ADbvandermeer or on Twitter at @ADbvandermeer.