In November, Como resident Lila Smith responded to news that a newly proposed route for the Grand Rounds “missing link” might require the removal of 30 homes from the neighborhood, despite Como residents’ recent strong opposition to a route that would similarly take homes from the neighborhood. (See story online at www.readthebridge.info/node/
2375.)

Thank you for your coverage of community reaction to the [newly proposed Grand Rounds route] G5. To clarify, we heard about the plan from neighborhood friends that had sat in on the [Citizens Advisory Committee] meeting at which George Puzack first suggested it, but [we] had not seen the details before the meeting. That is why we thought it would be over 100 homes, as opposed to 30, [which is] still not acceptable.

Our house goes to our daughters and grandchildren when we die. And what would happen to our neighborhood if they picked us off one by one? Are they planning to become landlords of empty houses, tear them down and landscape each lot, or make the area into a ghost town? Empty houses would not be a boon to the community. [Some residents] living on 26th Avenue Southeast have questioned how attractive a parkway facing an alleyway of garages and backyards would be. [Residents are] understandably suspicious of what might really happen.

The corner of 27th and Talmadge avenues is where all the school buses stop in our part of Southeast because Como, East Hennepin and 29th Avenue are all too busy. Running a parkway through here would cut the families of Como Family Student Housing off from the rest of our neighborhood, when we want them to feel a part of the neighborhood. Some of our neighbors are planning a walking exploration of all the possibilities to see if any would be palatable to the community.

— Lila Smith, Southeast Como

last revised: December 17, 2007

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