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If you're looking for somebody to blame for all the miscommunication littering the path of the Urban Loop, there's no shortage of suspects.

The federal government, the state of North Carolina and the city of Greensboro all have done lousy jobs of informing each other --let alone the public -- of the route and impact of the new highway.

As Staff Writer Taft Wireback reports in today's News & Record, while the blame may not be shared equally, there's a precious plenty to go around.

Developers, often motivated by making a quick buck at the expense of poorly informed customers, also are culpable. The same holds for home buyers who don't do their homework before signing on the dotted line.

However, more transparency may be in the offing, albeit belatedly. Remember, the idea for an Urban Loop that would more closely link the city's four quadrants was first floated in 1948.

Loop takes shape

Because the circular highway has been built in segments, the impact has been muted. While some residents, like those living in southwest Greensboro, already have been targeted, other areas thus far have avoided the bulldozers.

But that's about to change dramatically as the highway begins to wind through northwest and northeast neighborhoods.

The euphemism "boulevard" is a misnomer. As people living near the southwest connector, completed last year, can attest, this road is an interstate highway. The incessant drone of thousands of vehicles, 24 hours a day, has made living close by unbearable for some.

Relief, unfortunately, is limited for current residents. Sound barriers and landscaping help, but there's little recourse besides getting used to the noisy intruder or moving -- if you can find a willing buyer at a reasonable price.

But help could be on the way for house hunters considering property in the loop corridor. As it is, they're vulnerable to North Carolina's caveat emptor (buyer beware) law, which offers little protection.

Mayor Yvonne Johnson suggests worthwhile changes. She wants to provide home buyers near the loop with a more detailed disclosure form than the one now required by city government. It would replace the vaguely worded document developers currently give their customers to sign.

Now, in some cases, signing is an afterthought downplayed by sales agents anxious to close a deal. The mayor said she will insist on signing "before anything is closed or sold."

Limiting development

Johnson also prefers that no more development occur directly beside the loop, but realizes that's not likely. Often, those tracts are in or near desirable residential areas.

It also would be helpful if the city better publicized the loop corridor route, as it now appears on the DOT drawing board. Although that information is available, potential home buyers may overlook it.

As for the state, it could do a better job of keeping local governments updated on roadway route and design changes. Granted, plans can be altered, but failing to let officials with zoning and permitting authority know only leads to confusion. As a result, unsuspecting buyers can fall victim.

Once paths are locked in, DOT must go the extra mile in informing the public. In a recent interview with News & Record editorial writers, DOT Secretary Gene Conti admitted that may not always be the case.

Informing residents

While DOT gets high marks for publicizing planned renovations to Business I-40 in Forsyth County, other communities haven't fared as well.

Additionally, the General Assembly should even a playing field which favors property sellers over buyers.

As it stands, the state Real Estate Commission can suspend the license of an agent who doesn't tell buyers about plans for an interstate nearby, but can't levy fines or recover damages for them. The only other option: suing in civil court.

At the top of the pyramid, frequent changes in federal highway requirements may force the state to take more land than in original plans approved years earlier. That can have a trickle-down effect on local land use.

What once looked far down the road is upon us, and as Wireback notes, the system itself is at fault. Government agencies must work together, now, to better protect home buyers making the biggest purchases of their lives.