Homeowners on Burnett Road came together Wednesday morning to speak against Onondaga County’s effort to take private land through eminent domain in order to expand White Pines Commerce Park with a semiconductor plant.

“It’s just disgusting to see something like this. I live at the farthest end of the road, so I drive by these houses every day. It’s disappointing to see how they’ve become. We fear a little bit for our safety because we’ve had some break-ins here in the past week and a half or two,” a Burnett Road resident said.

Paul Richer has been living on Burnett Road for 64 years, his entire life. He said it’s upsetting that the only home he has known could be taken away from him, and says his safety is now at risk because the vacant homes have attracted looters.

“In the past, we really haven’t been worried about locking our doors, but now, we have to, especially if we leave for a few days," he said. "I’ve had to spend hundreds of dollars on security cameras so I can keep an eye on the property and record what’s going on.”

Richer said it doesn’t matter how much the county offers him. He does not want to sell his home.

“I’m in a financial situation where we can afford where we’re living now, and if I had to move to a house that cost more, taxes are going to be higher. There’s going to be things that are going to need to be fixed. It’ll bite into a fixed income once you get into that retirement stage of your life,” Richer said.

The homeowners partnered with the Institute for Justice in November of 2021 to help them oppose the county’s plans.

“We’re calling on Onondaga County to meet the bare minimum expectations that they and the town of Clay would have for any property owner. We’ll be e-mailing later today many of the supporters for the Save Burnett Road Coalition, asking them to file code violations with the town of Clay,” said Chase Reese, assistant director of activism for the Institute for Justice.

We reached out to the county for a response and had yet to hear back.