I’m not doubting your story, but I was the responsible official for several local agencies which built public works projects with state and federal funding, and everyone one them them had to be audited to show that the landowners were compensated properly. No one was bullied, coerced, or forced to sell for less than FMV.
We always overpaid if there was any question that our formula or comparable sales may be wrong so we would avoid any problems by the Feds. The main problem is that we would have to pay for the entire project with local funds and repay the federal grants.
There is plenty of bullying that goes on, thought sometimes property owners that fight back. Remember the real estate developer who got Atlantic City to try to take a little old lady's house away from her to build a parking lot? That was extreme bullying.
In San Jose, they bullied the owner of the Tropicana. I'm not sure if they ultimately succeeded. But they told him they were taking his property because he had the wrong kind of crepe myrtle or something. It cost him a lot of money.
Take a look at this:
Eminent domain ruling chills property owners / Fear of land grabs unites odd coalition
Eminent Domain is a blight on the nation, and most places aren't as benevolent as where you live.