“It seems like we are trying to jam this neighborhood in there.”
Walker City Commissioner Thom Burke opposes the Brightside Lane development because he thinks 40 houses is too many for the 19-acre property at 4519 Richmond.
“Stuffing a neighborhood in there doesn’t feel right to me. You are going to take all the trees out. I’m going to be looking out my back window right into somebody else’s back window.”
"I feel too it’s a little bit too close for comfort."
Commissioner Roxanne Deschaine also does not think the plan suits the property.
“I know that property is going to get developed. I just need to do it with a little bit of a slowdown.”
And Mayor Gary Carey says the already dangerous intersection at Richmond Street and Wilson Avenue can’t handle any more traffic, and an MDOT redesign is years away.
“Until that intersection is improved at Richmond and Wilson, I’m going to be a hard no on this. I don’t want to put any more lives at risk coming through that intersection.”
By a four-to-one vote, the commission turned down the request to rezone the property for the project. Engineer Greg Whittle wonders what would convince the commission to approve the development.
“As far as a path forward are you guys able to give me clear direction on what you would like to see? A place you want to go live. This is going to be a jammed community, and I am not a fan of that.”
