Resident urges Woodstock council to address housing affordability and downtown congestion

During public comment at the March 10 Woodstock City Council meeting, resident Gopika Van Deraj urged council to address a lack of diverse and attainable housing options and to take steps to reduce downtown traffic congestion.

Van Deraj said the city needs housing affordable for public-safety officers, teachers and other local staff so more workers can live in or near Woodstock. She cited publicly available figures in her remarks, saying the local median household income is $105,000 and that approximately 37% of income is spent on housing in the area (she noted 30% is commonly considered a housing-cost burden). She said about 65% of residents own their homes and about 35% rent, and stressed the local consequences of high housing costs: reduced spending on food, health care and education, longer commutes, stress and limited mobility.

On traffic, Van Deraj said ongoing changes around Main Street and Arnold Mill have produced mixed travel-time effects and continued pronounced congestion at key intersections; she recommended study and planning and suggested the council consult Canton for examples of strategies used there. She offered a range of potential measures, including adjustments to parking, timed parking, roadway geometry changes and reversible lanes, and flagged the impact of congestion on emergency response times and local businesses.

Council and the mayor cut the public comment short when the five-minute allotment expired; the mayor told Van Deraj staff will follow up and she said she will continue to engage the council on these issues.

Speakers and next steps: Van Deraj said she will follow up with council; staff did not present specific new studies at the meeting but parking and congestion were significant topics later in the agenda and will be considered through staff work on downtown parking initiatives.