Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Facilities topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Wixom officials urge Walled Lake board to address sidewalks, turn lanes for new Wixom Elementary
Summary
Wixom city council members and residents told the school board they are concerned that plans for a new Wixom Elementary lack sidewalks and deceleration/turn lanes and urged the district to engage with the city's public hearing process to address safety and access.
Wixom city council members and local residents told the Walled Lake Consolidated Schools board they are concerned about pedestrian and traffic safety at the site of a proposed new Wixom Elementary.
"There's about 1000 residents that live past the new Wixom Elementary... If cars are looking to turn left into the school in the morning and they're backed up, that's 1000 people that can't get to their homes," Peter Behrman, a Wixom city council member, said. Behrman said the city had sent a letter to the district and scheduled a public hearing for Tuesday at 7 p.m., and he urged district representation so residents could be heard.
Jason Kennedy, also a Wixom city council member, echoed the safety concerns and noted state law limits what the city can require about school siting and design. He asked the district to participate in the upcoming hearing and said sidewalks and deceleration/left‑turn lanes would help avoid the traffic and parking issues the neighborhood already experiences.
Neither council member asked the board to halt the project; both called for further conversation and coordination between the district and the city. District staff did not commit to design changes during the meeting; follow‑up was framed as likely to happen at the city hearing and in project team discussions.
Public commenters also asked the district to plan for safe pedestrian connections and to work with the city regarding right‑of‑way improvements associated with bond projects.
