Chuck Williams: Cooper has moral responsibility when it comes to Eufaula

An open letter to John Cooper, Director, Alabama Department of Transportation:

Dear Mr. Cooper,

Congratulations, sir. It looks like you win.

You pushed for the widening of North Eufaula Avenue against vocal and passionate opposition, and in the next few days -- barring a Hail Mary, and the Eufaula opposition is still slinging it down field -- MidSouth Paving's heavy equipment will be rolling into Eufaula to carve 6 feet off the median and turn two lanes into four.

An electronic road sign is ready and waiting on the north end of town to warn motorists they are entering a construction zone. It's just a matter of time.

Winner, winner, chicken dinner.

Now, your job is to make sure that chicken dinner you just won doesn't turn into crow.

You and your ALDOT engineers have made a lot of promises. Now, you must keep them. You must find a way to protect as many of the nearly 80 oaks and magnolias as you can. You don't want that stuff to become firewood, lest you be compared to Harvey Updyke.

The contract with MidSouth calls for an arborist to consult with the paving company. Give the arborist the authority to protect those trees from significant damage. Lord knows, the trees can't protect themselves.

If you are going to do it, do it right.

You looked the good people of Eufaula in the eye, didn't blink, and force fed them progress. That takes guts, gall and no shortage of self-confidence.

You say there is a silent majority in Eufaula that favors the progress. You may be right. In the face of the vocal opposition, I know people who are for it and have elected to remain quiet.

You have been their voice. And they are more than willing to let you take the arrows.

Now, you can walk away. But I don't think that's your style. You own this one. And the whole state knows you own it. If you screw it up, it ought to be on your tombstone.

Which leads me to believe you are going to take great caution to see it's done right.

You have been given permission -- or at least you have not been denied -- by a federal court to move ahead with the $1.3 million project. The Alabama taxpayers are paying twice as much as they should to pave 0.8 miles of road. You have refused to use federal transportation dollars, which likely were available.

Why?

That was evident last month when U.S. District Court Judge Myron Thompson refused to grant the city of Eufaula a temporary restraining order. He said it was a matter between the city and state. You, Mr. Cooper, are the state. You win.

You made certain of that at a financial cost to Alabama taxpayers.

But I would argue this has now moved into a higher court. You have a moral responsibility now. And I think you know that.

You have walked the North Eufaula Avenue median four times since the stakes went up last spring. Here's hoping you walk it eight more in the next four months. Once every two weeks you should leave Montgomery, travel down U.S. 82, and grab lunch -- I would suggest Blue Moon Coffee Shop or maybe Phil's Barbecue. Then you should walk the median, talk to those doing the work. See what MidSouth is doing. Get on a first-name basis with the arborist, and demand that person be honest with you. Remain engaged in this project.

If you're right -- and I believe that you believe you're right -- then this project will solve the congestion that Georgia beach-bound traffic causes in Eufaula. And the impact on the trees and the historic value of the community will be minimal.

If you are wrong -- and only time will tell -- then it is on you and history should reflect that. If this scenic byway loses its charm and historic feel, you should be held personally responsible for destroying a piece of Alabama history.

I know enough about what is happening to believe you have a fighting chance to be right. But you can't leave anything to chance. Everything from here on out has to be calculated and monitored.

We are about to find out if you are a man of your word.

I am willing to bet you are. Where benefit and doubt intersect, you get the benefit of that doubt.

And that makes me different from a lot of folks in my hometown. You have been pegged as arrogant and uncaring. Vilified in some places.

I don't believe it. I think you are confident and certain, character traits that make a good chief executive officer.

Here's a prayer that you're also right.

Give me a call next time you are in Eufaula, I would love to walk that median with you. I'll even pick up the tab for lunch.

Watching and waiting,

Chuck Williams

A Eufaula boy

This story was originally published January 5, 2015 at 4:58 PM with the headline "Chuck Williams: Cooper has moral responsibility when it comes to Eufaula."