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Homewood and St. John residents tell Gary council deteriorating roads are hazardous
Summary
Residents from the Homewood and Saint John apartment communities urged the Gary Common Council to prioritize road repairs on East 30th Avenue, Carolina Street, and Georgia Street, saying damaged pavement is a safety hazard that delays emergency response and damages vehicles.
At the Sept. 16, 2025 Gary Common Council meeting, Damian Walls and other residents from the Homewood and Saint John apartment communities presented a petition asking the council to prioritize repair of several local streets, saying deteriorated pavement is a public-safety hazard.
Walls, who identified himself as a resident of District 4, told council members that the roadways around the apartments — specifically East 30th Avenue and Carolina Street near the apartment entrance, and the stretch between Carolina and Georgia Street from East 24th Street to East 21st Street — have deteriorated to the point they “are no longer just an inconvenience” and that the conditions damage vehicles, delay emergency responders and reduce residents’ quality of life.
“We come with a clear message: our community does not want to be left behind as we progress and develop within our city,” Walls said, asking the council to repair the roads “not next year, not someday, but now.”
Other residents who spoke during public comment described long-term maintenance challenges on their blocks and said repeated changes of property ownership and slow administrative responses have left some lots and rights-of-way poorly maintained. One resident described calling 311 to request tree trimming and said the city’s response led to trees being cut for the first time in decades.
The public-comment remarks were a request for action rather than a formal motion; council members did not announce a vote or specific funding commitment during the meeting. Council members acknowledged the comments and provided information about upcoming community forums and volunteer cleanups but did not provide a timetable for road repairs during the Sept. 16 session.
Why this matters
Speakers described safety impacts (emergency response delay, vehicle damage) and equity concerns — that investment and maintenance should reach neighborhoods across Gary rather than focus on a subset of areas. Residents asked for near-term attention to repair planning and budgeting so the work is not deferred indefinitely.
What was requested
Residents asked the council to prioritize roadway repair in the named blocks and to communicate a clear plan and timetable; they presented a petition with signatures and asked the council to treat the repairs as a safety and equity issue.
(Reporting note: street names and locality are reported as stated in the Sept. 16 meeting; residents used neighborhood names Homewood and Saint John and referenced East 30th Avenue, Carolina Street and Georgia Street.)
