More than 500 Oxford area residents and taxpayers have signed a petition opposing the construction of a pedestrian bridge over M-24 for the Polly Ann Trail.
Plans call for an estimated $1.2 to $1.3 million steel bridge to be constructed south of Church Street and north of Center and Davison streets in downtown Oxford. It’s purpose would be to connect the eastern and western portions of the Polly Ann Trail, allowing its pedestrian users to safely and easily cross M-24.
Exactly 520 signatures opposing the proposed bridge were collected during the month of October, according to Marilyn Schils and Violet Kintz, both of Oxford, who organized the local petition drive.
Copies of the petition are being mailed this week to the Michigan Department of Transportation, Road Commission for Oakland County, Polly Ann Trail Management Council, Michigan Department of Natural Resources, Michigan State Sen. Mike Bishop and Governor Jennifer Granholm.
‘We want to let them know we are opposed to a bridge,? Schils said. ‘Hopefully, we can stop this thing.?
The bridge design submitted to MDOT was rejected in September because it was not wide enough and the arch (or curvature) of the bridge was not wheelchair accessible according to Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) standards. At its Oct. 15 meeting, the Polly Ann Trail Management Council voted to authorize the bridge’s project manager Larry Obrecht to present the required changes to MDOT and request additional funding to finance them. MDOT’s approval is needed for this project.
The petition language, which was voluntarily drafted by Oxford Village Manager Joe Young, stated that ‘we the undersigned . . . object to the pedestrian bridge being proposed in the Village of Oxford? and instead request that ‘active traffic signals? be placed ‘north and south? of Burdick St. ? one at Church St. and M-24 and the other at either Stanton/Dennison St. and M-24 or Broadway St. and M-24.
Some prominent Oxford officials signed the petition including Oxford Township Supervisor Bill Dunn, Oxford Village councilmen Steve Allen and Dave Bailey, Village Police Chief Mike Neymanowski, Fire Chief Jack LeRoy and Library Board President Duane Salswedel. Even past local officials such as former village president Joe Bullen and former superintendent Roger Oberg signed the petition.
The petition drive began when Schils and Kintz, along with about 18 other senior citizens, attended the Sept. 27 village council meeting to express their staunch opposition to the proposed bridge. At that meeting, Councilman Dave Bailey suggested the group start a petition.
Although ‘no one set a goal? as to how many signatures should be collected, Kintz, who’s lived in Oxford on-and-off since 1940, had a ‘personal goal? of 500.
‘It’s been a lot of work,? said Kintz, noting she’s very pleased with the signature count. ‘At the meeting, one of the council members said it might help if we could get a petition with a couple of hundred signatures on it and I said to myself, ‘A couple of hundred? We can get more than that.??
Schils called the $1.2 to $1.3 million projected cost of the bridge is ‘ridiculous.?
The bridge, along with a complete resurfacing of the Polly Ann Trail, will be paid for using a combination of a $1.5 million federal grant administered through MDOT and more than $500,000 in matching funds secured from private sources.
‘I don’t care if its being paid for by the federal government or the state government. That’s still our tax money, right?? said Schils, who’s lived in Oxford since 1958. ‘They keep saying, ‘What are you worried about? It’s not your money.? Well, yes it is. It’s not local government money, but it’s still my money.?
Schils and Kintz said a traffic signal and crosswalk on M-24 would cost a lot less than a bridge, save about a $1 million in taxpayer money and still help pedestrians safely cross M-24.
‘A light’s more practical,? Schils said.
Financial issues aside, the ladies also believe the bridge’s appearance ‘doesn’t fit? with Oxford’s historic downtown district and will negatively impact its image.
‘When I saw that picture (of the bridge) in the newspaper, I thought what a grotesque structure that is,? Kintz said.