Our city is entirely a walking school district—there are no school buses. This means every sidewalk and intersection is potentially part of a student’s route to school, from every corner of the city.
Currently, the City fully clears all streets while relying on individual homeowners and businesses to clear sidewalks. Although sidewalk clearing is required by ordinance, the City has not been able to enforce this requirement effectively, making the system functionally ineffective. When sidewalks, intersections, and transit stops are not cleared, students are forced into unsafe conditions or lose access altogether.
When the school district responds to unsafe sidewalk conditions by offering “excused absences” (as it did last week), it effectively accepts loss of access as an acceptable outcome. In a walking-only district, where students have no alternative transportation, staying home is not a safety solution—it is exclusion. Access to education should not depend on owning a car or having the social capital to ask for a ride.
Together, these policies create a system where people outside of cars—especially students—are expected to accept reduced access during winter. This is an equity and accessibility failure. If we expect students to walk, and if we claim to value accessibility, we need a better, coordinated approach to sidewalk and intersection maintenance that reflects how people actually move through our city.
I am writing to support the proposal to expand city hall to the warren road grant school building. This is a wonderful, forward thinking idea. Repurpose and reuse are corner stones of architecture This is similar to saving the Curtiss Block. Grant school is a handsome building that embraces Lakewoods history and needs to be saved and used.
Council Support Requested for Bunts Road Path Design
I am writing to comment on the proposed surface design for the Bunts Road Multimodal Path and to respectfully request Council’s support in ensuring the project aligns with what was presented to residents.
The publicly shared project images depict existing concrete driveways remaining in place. This design appears materially different and more appropriate for a residential street than what residents have since been told when seeking clarification. The project should be constructed consistent with the design that was shown.
Council’s involvement is important to help ensure consistency between public representations and the final outcome. Preserving existing concrete driveways and using the depicted surface would help maintain the residential character of Bunts Road while also reducing long-term maintenance and replacement costs for the City.
Additional considerations for Council include:
-Use of durable, long-lasting materials appropriate for a residential area
- Replacement of removed trees with comparable, mature trees
-Shielded, residential-scale lighting
-Remove on-street parking when necessary for safety
-Clear written policies regarding maintenance, driveway ownership, and long-term responsibility
Thank you for your time and continued service to the community.
Our city is entirely a walking school district—there are no school buses. This means every sidewalk and intersection is potentially part of a student’s route to school, from every corner of the city.
Currently, the City fully clears all streets while relying on individual homeowners and businesses to clear sidewalks. Although sidewalk clearing is required by ordinance, the City has not been able to enforce this requirement effectively, making the system functionally ineffective. When sidewalks, intersections, and transit stops are not cleared, students are forced into unsafe conditions or lose access altogether.
When the school district responds to unsafe sidewalk conditions by offering “excused absences” (as it did last week), it effectively accepts loss of access as an acceptable outcome. In a walking-only district, where students have no alternative transportation, staying home is not a safety solution—it is exclusion. Access to education should not depend on owning a car or having the social capital to ask for a ride.
Together, these policies create a system where people outside of cars—especially students—are expected to accept reduced access during winter. This is an equity and accessibility failure. If we expect students to walk, and if we claim to value accessibility, we need a better, coordinated approach to sidewalk and intersection maintenance that reflects how people actually move through our city.
I am writing to support the proposal to expand city hall to the warren road grant school building. This is a wonderful, forward thinking idea. Repurpose and reuse are corner stones of architecture This is similar to saving the Curtiss Block. Grant school is a handsome building that embraces Lakewoods history and needs to be saved and used.
Council Support Requested for Bunts Road Path Design
I am writing to comment on the proposed surface design for the Bunts Road Multimodal Path and to respectfully request Council’s support in ensuring the project aligns with what was presented to residents.
The publicly shared project images depict existing concrete driveways remaining in place. This design appears materially different and more appropriate for a residential street than what residents have since been told when seeking clarification. The project should be constructed consistent with the design that was shown.
Council’s involvement is important to help ensure consistency between public representations and the final outcome. Preserving existing concrete driveways and using the depicted surface would help maintain the residential character of Bunts Road while also reducing long-term maintenance and replacement costs for the City.
Additional considerations for Council include:
-Use of durable, long-lasting materials appropriate for a residential area
- Replacement of removed trees with comparable, mature trees
-Shielded, residential-scale lighting
-Remove on-street parking when necessary for safety
-Clear written policies regarding maintenance, driveway ownership, and long-term responsibility
Thank you for your time and continued service to the community.