Delaware City committee approves temporary pilot to connect Westgate Drive to Champion Court after resident objections

The Delaware City Public Works & Public Utilities Committee voted 3‑0 on Sept. 23 to forward a proposal to city council to build a temporary paved connection between the end of Westgate Drive and Champion Court as a 12‑month pilot.

The vote came after more than an hour of public comment and detailed staff presentation. Public Works Director Bill Perino outlined staff’s rationale, saying the existing turnaround at the end of Westgate is “about 46 to 48 feet diameter” and too small for the city’s larger service vehicles. Perino said the city counted 16 cars in two hours exiting the Champion Court neighborhood and that his delay studies showed peak delays of about 32 seconds at nearby intersections. “I don’t see how it’s possible” that the connection would become a major cut‑through, he said, adding the city could barricade or remove the pavement if the pilot produced problems.

Residents who live on or near Westgate pressed the committee to preserve the street as a dead end. Amy Eiken, who said she lives at 61 Westgate Drive, told the committee she is “against the cut through at this point” and asked what…