Who will benefit from “The Edgewood Road Project?”
Certainly the residents of the east end won’t, and will have to live with the consequences day and night.
Nor will anyone living on New Gambier Road, all the way to Upper Gilchrist Rd.
Anyone driving on an already traffic congested Coshocton Ave. won’t.
So, who might benefit?
Students who may shave a few seconds off their fast-food runs will.
People who don’t live around Mount Vernon but are just passing through might.
Commercial trucks getting to businesses on Coshocton Avenue, certainly.
Most of all, developers planning construction in the four quadrants of the outlying area of the city are the huge winners.
All residents of Mount Vernon are being used as a sacrificial lamb for the benefit of people who only want to make money at our expense.
Residents who will have to suffer the results of the ‘reconstruction’ will have to give up property, property value, privacy, quality of life, a safe place for their children to play, and more, plus put up with the added noise and dirt for the benefit of people who really do not need the changes planned to get where they are going.
Residents along the streets where the work is planned will be giving up driveways, off street parking, yard space, and in one instance, an entire home.
Many beautiful, large mature trees will have to be removed. Gardens and shrubbery will be lost.
Brian Ball, City Engineer, said “vegetative barriers to create separation between the road and homes” will be put in on Edgewood.
How he’ll squeeze these in is a head scratcher, and will never take the place of the vegetation he’ll be removing.
Please vote no to put an end to this misconceived plan in November.
Tammy Swingle
Mount Vernon, Ohio