Madera residents ask Lakewood to revise Nyanza Road sidewalk project, cite privacy, drainage and vegetation loss

Representatives of the Madera Homeowners Association and several residents told the Lakewood City Council on Oct. 6 that recent Nyanza Road sidewalk and road construction removed vegetation that previously buffered homes from the street, creating privacy, runoff and property-value concerns.

Amy Betts, speaking as a resident and a board member of the Madera Homeowners Association, said the project removed “the natural green buffer between Nyanza Road and our homes,” leaving at least four houses “directly exposed to the street” and increasing foot traffic and direct visibility into backyards. Betts said the project produced a terrain drop of up to 12 feet between the road and property lines and warned that without “proper drainage solutions, runoff and debris will flow directly into our neighborhood, creating trash, flooding, and erosion risks.”

Stephanie Crone Williams, another impacted homeowner, said she and three other properties are directly affected and urged the council to review photographs the neighborhood submitted and to visit the site. Williams said the post-construction photos “show that a significant amount of the natural foliage was removed, leaving homes exposed that were previously hidden,” and asked the council for a clear commitment to work with affected residents and to consider proposed solutions in the letter delivered to the city clerk on Oct. 1.

Gail Hampton Smith, identified in the meeting as Madera HOA president in the letter submitted to the clerk, is the signatory of the written request the council received in advance. The letter asked that the council amend the project plan, extend the same vegetation considerations used elsewhere along the same corridor to Madera residents, and engage directly with affected homeowners to incorporate their input into the final design.

Council member Laura Sella (referred to in remarks during the meeting) said crews removed “a lot of English Laurel and English Ivy, which are both invasive species,” and described the current moment as an opportunity to partner with neighboring homeowners to develop a solution that balances pedestrian access and resident privacy. Mayor Whalen and City Manager Russell told residents the project likely involved work within the public right of way, and the mayor said the council would seek additional feedback and follow up with staff. Council members requested a follow-up status report at an upcoming meeting so residents can learn what can be done to address runoff, drainage and replanting concerns.

Residents asked the council to halt further work affecting private property lines and to re-engage the community in the final design so the city’s goals for pedestrian safety can be achieved “while safeguarding the privacy, security, and quality of life of the Madera neighborhood.”