Neighbors urge caution over traffic, student safety and process in Bagley parking-deck debate

During the public-comment portion on the parking-deck agenda item, residents from Bagley and nearby streets described persistent worries about traffic congestion, student safety during drop-off and pickup, security on upper deck levels and the fairness of siting a large structure adjacent to a few dozen homes.

Jerry Anderson, a Bagley neighbor, told commissioners his back-of-envelope calculation of financing and maintenance would burden households: “So you're talking about $5,000 per household in East Grand Rapids to have this parking structure,” he said. Anna Nielsen and other Bagley residents described daily congestion during school drop-off, the proximity of the proposed entrance to their driveways, and a November 15 consultancy letter warning that the structure could take 30 minutes to an hour to empty after school. Neighbors urged the commission to require clearer alternatives analysis, to explore middle-school-lot expansion or bus/shuttle pilots, and to hold further joint discussions with the school board before placing the matter to voters.

Speakers also criticized the timing and process: several residents and one commissioner said new ballot-language edits were circulated late in the day, limiting public review. A number of callers recommended postponement or a special joint meeting with school officials so that outstanding operational questions — such as who would enforce designated community levels, whether gating would be used, how trash/access impacts for businesses would be mitigated — could be fully answered.