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Carolyn Bush Roddy urges council to keep Greenwood/Rome neighbors informed about possible sale
Summary
A lifelong Kingston resident told the council she fears a parcel on Greenwood and Rome streets could displace elderly neighbors if developed; city staff said no decision has been made and a developer has expressed interest in senior apartments but nothing is finalized.
Carolyn Bush Roddy, who gave her address as 1125 Hartford Road, told the Kingston City Council she is worried about a parcel at Greenwood and Rome streets that she says has been put up for sale and could be developed in ways that harm longtime, mostly elderly neighbors.
"It hurts me to my heart that that property might be...for development," Roddy said, asking the council to consider that many neighbors cannot attend meetings and to inform the community when decisions are made.
City leaders responded that no decision on the city's parcel has been made. A presiding official said a sign the speaker had seen referred to a church-owned lot and not the city's property.
City Manager Bowling said a company had expressed interest in the city's roughly 4-acre parcel but that nothing was finalized. "The last time I talked to him, he did seem to indicate that if they did buy the property, that's what they would wanna do with it is put senior housing there," Bowling said, describing the latest proposal as apartments for people 55 and older.
Roddy pressed for notification to neighbors, saying many in the affected block "can't get out" and have been left unaware of planning activity. The presiding official told her there would be multiple public meetings, and that agendas and materials are posted on public websites.
Why it matters: Residents urged clearer outreach and consideration of traffic and property impacts — Roddy warned that street widening for a park across the street could require taking property and that elderly residents are "scared." Council members said they would consider community impacts as any proposal proceeds and that affected residents will receive notice through the city's established agenda and meeting notifications.
Next step: Council said the matter is not decided and that any formal proposal would appear on a future agenda or public notice; staff said there would be several meetings before action.
