I thought this place looked closed and lonely when I went by a few weeks ago. What is the next best diner breakfast place in Eureka/Fortuna? (not Samoa Cookhouse please)
-k
http://www.times-standard.com/localnews/ci_17436810Hansen's Truck Stop restaurant unable to reopen despite $2.5 million Caltrans settlement
Donna Tam/The Times-Standard
Posted: 02/20/2011 01:24:06 AM PST
Click photo to enlarge
The proprietors of Hansen's Truck Stop have accomplished what many residents only dream they could do -- boldly take on the government and win.
A Humboldt County Superior Court jury awarded Hansen's, a local fixture off U.S. Highway 101 south of Fortuna, $2.5 million in a case against Caltrans. The settlement was awarded on Feb. 9 after 25 years of litigation surrounding Caltrans' acquisition of 1.7 acres of the Hansen's 13.5 acre property for the construction of the recently completed Alton interchange.
Caltrans spokeswoman Julie East said in a statement, “We are in the process of reviewing our options, and there is no decision whether or not we are going to appeal at this point.”
Charles Hansen Jr. said he carried on the case after his father Charles Hansen Sr. died in 2009 because it was important to his family and his livelihood. While he is happy with the settlement, the ordeal has made it more difficult to keep his business afloat. The restaurant portion of the truck stop closed in January after being in operation for more than 30 years.
”I'd rather have a business that I could operate every year,” he said, adding that the worst part was having to lay off his nearly 20 employees. He continues to operate his wire rope business.
According to Caltrans, the agency attempted a partial settlement of some issues in the case, but the Hansens declined.
”The Hansens' valuation theory was that the change in access to
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their property essentially destroyed all potential use of the property as a truck stop, or any other commercial business,” the Caltrans statement said. “Time will tell if this assessment was correct.”
Donna Tam can be reached at 441-0532 or
dtam@times-standard.com.
