Large turnout of Shaker Town residents urge council to pause or cancel road project over trees, property impacts and safety questions

A series of residents spoke at length during public comment about the proposed Shaker Town Road improvement (project IDs and parcel numbers cited in the staff packet). Concerns focused on loss of mature trees, property encroachment, construction duration, inconsistent sidewalk widths along the corridor and what residents described as a lack of hard safety data to justify the scope.

Heather Harvey said she first learned of plans from a 2019 phone call with city engineers and listed specific items she said were inaccurate or incomplete in project materials, including drainage, right‑of‑way dimensions, traffic counts and tree impacts. "I stand in firm opposition to this project and respectfully ask that it be immediately canceled," she said. Other speakers including Nu Dang, Gary Dunkel and Bill Keller urged the council to show how public input has influenced decisions and called for more study and compromise. Dunkel provided a long list of alleged issues — from reduced traffic counts to a claimed loss of 125 trees and concerns over temporary construction easements and insurance liability during construction.

Supporters of scaled‑back approaches said they were not categorically against sidewalks but objected to the proposed 10‑foot dual paths and front‑yard encroachment. Several residents asked why grant requirements should drive the city's planning choices rather than local priorities. Council members responded that many decisions and funding commitments have been made previously, that grants drive the timing of some projects, and that staff has reached out to MVRPC and ODOT for clarifications. Council agreed to continue reviewing the matter and to keep communicating with residents as staff follows up.