A jury’s $3.13 million award to two Botetourt County landowners who said their prime piece of development property was damaged by a highway improvement project has been trimmed.
In a settlement that heads off an appeal, the Virginia Department of Transportation agreed to pay $2.97 million to resolve its dispute with Bland and Betty Painter.
The Painters own a 22-acre piece of property that sits at the center of the Exit 150 interchange off Interstate 81. VDOT is in the midst of a $46 million construction project that is expected to relieve traffic congestion and boost commercial development in the area, which is seen as a key gateway to Botetourt.
