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Residents press Harrisburg council to halt greenway easement after disputed HOA action
Summary
Dozens of residents spoke during public comment at the Harrisburg Town Council meeting, urging the town to halt or reconsider a donated easement for the proposed Foothill Creek greenway near Tottenham/Fentondale. Speakers cited safety, habitat loss and HOA process irregularities; town staff said they'll work with the current HOA board on alignments and outreach.
Hundreds of neighbors and a string of speakers told the Harrisburg Town Council on Aug. 12 that a proposed greenway near Tottenham and Fentondale should be paused or rerouted amid concerns over safety, environmental impacts and how the easement was approved.
Residents such as Laura Cooper of 7909 Tottenham Drive said the greenway behind her home would make the neighborhood less safe and asked whether the town would pay for heightened security. Multiple speakers, including Carmen Blaylock (7959 Tottenham), accused a former HOA board of fast‑tracking an easement donation and urged the town to review or return the easement. Darlene Siebert (7917 Tottenham) objected to a proposal she said would clear roughly 25 feet of habitat and harm wildlife.
Town Manager Rob Donham told council he met with the current HOA board and attorneys two weeks earlier and that staff plan to work with the HOA to explore alignments and minimize neighbor impacts. Donham said the footpath project and the Foothill Creek greenway are separate efforts and that the HOA will be the primary point of contact for community outreach as designs advance.
Not every speaker opposed the greenway. Nicole Eskew of Wycombe Court said greenways provide safe, daily places for children and families to bike and walk and urged the town to invest for future generations. James Eskew, who said the HOA and council previously supported the greenway, asked neighbors to work with the town to “get it done right.”
Several speakers also raised procedural questions. Carmen Blaylock presented documents she said were given to her by a former HOA officer’s spouse and said the easement vote followed a rapid sequence of HOA board changes; others said a neighborhood meeting recently removed a prior HOA board by a 55–17 margin because of “lies and deceit.”
Council members and staff noted the controversy and tradeoffs. Donham reiterated that the town has not committed construction funds and will not act unilaterally; he said staff will coordinate design options with the current HOA, examine alignment alternatives to reduce impacts and report back. Sheriff’s office and town staff said they do not see a history of greenway‑specific calls in Harrisburg, but acknowledged residents’ safety concerns and recommended continued community engagement.
What’s next: Staff said they will continue design work with the HOA, and the HOA will report back to residents. The council did not take any formal vote on the greenway at this meeting.
