Residents ask for notification change
When Fred Fleet and Phyllis Waller addressed Washington City Council Thursday, the community representatives were prepared.
Fleet, president of Highland Ridge Community Development Corp., and Waller, NAACP Washington Branch president and Erie Street resident, presented letters to the mayor and council members before reading from prepared documents, addressing the expansion of Budd Baer car dealership.
Residents of the neighborhood, known as Highland Ridge or Linn Town, took issue with the business “encroaching” on a residential area. They contend the company has not addressed many issues, including flooding from runoff, noise, dirt and increased truck traffic.
Fleet and Waller said city officials inadequately notified residents about turning over a well-used road to the business. In February, council vacated a portion of Poplar Street, turning it over to Baer, who owns property on both sides of the road. Baer since closed that portion of Poplar, cutting off access to Murtland Avenue.
While the city acted in accordance with the law by posting a notice in the Observer-Reporter, residents contend they should have been notified personally.
“Change the law or ordinance to notify each property and homeowner of major changes near their property,” Fleet said. “The city needs to mail letters to each home when a major construction is proposed.”
Waller asked for overweight truck limits and signs for the area and asked Poplar Street be reopened.
“We are not requesting, but demanding that no other streets or alleys be sold or given to a business,” she said.
In his letter, Fleet asked impact studies be done before major changes are made to neighborhoods and said zoning in the area should be clarified.
“Highland Ridge area has historically been general business because people had businesses in their homes when I was a kid. I know because I used to get my hair cut in some of these homes. My parents had a restaurant and grocery store on Lincoln,” Fleet said. “It was never meant for commercial businesses.
“In (the) future, mayor and council must weigh the pros and cons, get feedback from residents and businesses (and) conduct impact studies before decisions are made that impact the city and its citizens. I ask you to enact changes so there will not be a repeat of this anywhere else in the city again.”
Councilman Ken Westcott said, “They are absolutely right. We need to do a better job.”
Westcott said the most important thing to come out of dialogue between residents and city officials is the need to change the way residents are notified of potentially important changes in their neighborhood.
Budd Baer owner Mark Baer said he is willing to talk with residents about their lingering concerns, which Westcott affirmed.
“He wants them involved,” Westcott said.
In other business, Mayor Brenda Davis thanked Christy Thomas, city clerk, for her persistence in getting street lights replaced. Several residents complained to council during a nonvoting meeting Tuesday about burned-out street lights in the West End section of the city, the site of three recent shootings. According to Davis, nine of 17 lights were replaced by West Penn Power so far.
“We are lighting up the city to combat crime,” Davis said.
Council approved the preliminary site plan for Washington City Mission, 84 W. Wheeling St., allowing the mission to start rebuilding after a June 9 fire.