Elon Musk is attempting to buy property in Boca Chica Village which is located too close to SpaceX’s Texas rocket launchpad.
Business Insider reports that Elon Musk’s space exploration firm SpaceX has run into an issue with its latest rocket launchpad — it is located too close to a small village community with 20 elderly residents. SpaceX got approval in July 2014 to build a commercial spaceport and launch orbital-class rockets in an area of South Texas located beside Boca Chica Village. Now, the firm is attempting to convince residents to sell even though many do not want to.
SpaceX famously launched a crude rocket-powered prototype space exploration vehicle called the Starhopper 500 feet in the air, it later was engulfed in flames but appeared undamaged externally. The rocket was lifted off a concrete pad constructed near Boca Chica Beach just one and a half miles east of the nearest residence in the village. But after an accidental bush fire, public-safety notifies of the possibility of explosions and a push by the firm to have the FAA approve the launch of larger vehicles, SpaceX is attempting to purchase Boca Chica entirely.
Residents have told Business Insider that they began receiving buyout offers from SpaceX via express mail on Monday through a commercial real-estate firm called JLL. At least 10 residents in the area who own one-third of the homes have received the letter but it seems as if all property owners in the vicinity of the SpaceX facility were likely approached by the firm.
The letter stated:
When SpaceX first identified Cameron County as a potential spaceport location, we did not anticipate that local residents would experience significant disruption from our presence.
However, it has become clear that expansion of spaceflight activities as well as compliance with Federal Aviation Administration and other public safety regulations will make it increasingly more challenging to minimize disruption to residents of the Village.
The letter added that SpaceX was “committed to a fair and equitable process for acquiring this real estate” and had hired an independent firm to appraise each property. “SpaceX is offering you three times the independently appraised fair market value of your property,” the letter said. “The offer is good through two weeks from the date of this letter.” The letter added, “The amount of this offer is not negotiable.”
The firm stated: “SpaceX believes that it is very important to offer the same deal to all residents using a consistent approach for determining the amount offered for each property. This is the fairest approach.”
Many residents are not happy with the situation, Maria Pointer who live in Boca Chica and actually helps to run a pro-SpaceX Facebook group stated that she does not believe that she and her husband can accept SpaceX’s deal. “I really do want to get out of SpaceX’s way, and I want them to succeed and do what they’re supposed to do,” said Pointer. “But I also want them to support me also, and it’s also not going to be at an eminent-domain price.”
Celia Johnson is another resident with no plans to accept SpaceX’s offer: “They determined what they are going to pay us for our homes and they give us a two-week deadline to decide,” Johnson said. “I am not going to be bullied into selling under their conditions.”
Pointer added: “They need to understand that most of this community has very limited income. We want to move on, just give us what we need to move on. I’m not going to go to a trailer or an apartment. I gave my life to this property. I gave it everything I had. Nobody else wanted to tame it.”
Lucas Nolan is a reporter for Breitbart News covering issues of free speech and online censorship. Follow him on Twitter @LucasNolan or email him at lnolan@breitbart.com
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