Published: June 24, 2009 10:08 pm      

Secretary of Interior meets with landowners in Somerset

Salazar hopes to have agreements on Flight 93 properties by Aug. 1

SOMERSET, Pa. — Interior Secretary Ken Salazar says he hopes to have agreements by Aug. 1 with owners of all properties needed by the federal government to construct a Flight 93 National Memorial.

Salazar met with a number of landowners Tuesday at the National Park Service office at 109 W. Main St. He and Joanne Hanley, the park service’s Flight 93 site superintendent in Somerset County, met with reporters afterward.

While no names were mentioned, Salazar — in response to a reporter’s question — said that handshake agreements had been reached with five of the seven remaining property owners with land needed for the memorial. Agreements still have not been reached with the other two, he said.

But Salazar expressed optimism that all agreements needed will be reached by the Aug. 1 date. “Today, substantial progress was made,” he said. “I think we will get all the deals done.”

He said getting all the land needed for the memorial is a high priority for President Barack Obama and U.S. Sen. Arlen Specter.

While optimistic, Salazar admitted that more work remains before all the needed land becomes federal property. He likened the negotiations to buying a house or a car. It’s not often in those situations that the seller’s first offer is accepted by the prospective buyer, he said. “Basically, that’s what’s happening now,” Salazar said.

He said it is the Interior Department’s responsibility to treat landowners fairly and that they receive “just compensation” for their land.

Another reporter asked about eminent domain, which is the right of a government to take or purchase private property for public use. While not taking eminent domain off the table, Salazar said he was hoping to avoid any unfriendly confrontations. Hanley echoed that sentiment. We’re committed to working with all the landowners,” Hanley said. “We want to be good neighbors.”

Getting all the agreements reached soon is a must if the $60 million memorial is to be finished in time for the 10th anniversary of the terrorist attacks on Sept. 11, 2011, Salazar has said previously.