Residents, business owners discuss future of Sylvan Park - WSMV Channel 4
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Some say a change could wipe out local business. Others argue a change is needed for safety.
A meeting over the future of the Sylvan Park area brought on a heated debate Saturday morning.
"We don't need Metro government to come in and tell us what's best for us," said one business owner in the meeting at McCabe Community Center. "We know exactly what we need."
"We need more pedestrians, we need more sidewalks and we need more safety, but we don't need to cut our noses off to spite our face," added another business owner.
"For the government to come in and propose changes without consulting with us in the beginning is disturbing," said Star Bagel owner Krista Miller. "This is our livelihood we're talking about."
District 24 Councilman Jason Holleman said residents have long complained about a need for sidewalks, and that's why he asked public works to come up with a proposed plan for the area around Murphy Road and 46th Avenue.
"The draft plan calls for building sidewalks in the business area, reconfiguring the intersection to have a roundabout and more crosswalks, and controlling some of the access points into the parking lots," said Holleman.
Worried what the changes could do to parking around local businesses, Miller drafted her own proposal.
"We put in stop signs on Murphy Road and 46th to slow traffic before they come to the curve," Miller explained.
According to Holleman, it's time to try something that might get the room closer to a compromise.
"The neighborhood association president suggested we have a working group where representatives of the neighborhood and representatives of businesses come together and sit around a table and talk to each other about what their goals are," said Holleman. "Maybe they can say what they're willing to compromise on."
Holleman added there is no defined timeline on the project. He said this is a good thing because it allows both the residents and the business owners time to flesh out their concerns and find something that works best for everyone.
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