Future Of Two-Way Road Decided In Colleyville Saturday
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COLLEYVILLE(CBS11) - Homeowner Judy Chappell says she lives in Colleyville for the hometown feel and she wants to keep it that way.
Chappell and her neighbors have put up caution tape around trees and dug markers into the ground to show voters how a Glade Road expansion project could impact them. Chappell specifically disagrees with plans for a 10-foot trail on her side of the road.
"This could ultimately come up through my driveway and it would destroy hundreds of year old trees," Chappell says.
The homeowner supports Resolution 1. 1000 residents signed a petition to get the referendum on the ballot. It's goal, according to supporters, is to protect the rural feel of the city. It aims to limit the widening of Glade Road to existing rights of way, and keep sidewalks and trails off the north side.
"It's much more than about Glade Road. It's so the citizens can have a voice and be heard," Chappell explains.
"I love Glade Road because it's gorgeous, but the rural side of it was gone a long time ago," says resident Megan McGhee.
McGhee says congestion is such a problem, she sits in her car for 10 minutes each day waiting to turn into her own driveway.
"The lanes are so narrow, there's so little room to go either which way," she explains.
As Colleyville and surrounding areas grow, as many as 17,000 cars pass through the narrow two lanes daily.
"The challenge today is that it's only 21-feet wide, versus our standard of 31 feet for side streets," says city council member Chuck Mogged.
Mogged opposes Resolution 1.
He says the road desperately needs to be widened to fix congestion and address safety issues.
"That means during rush hour, especially where we have both sides flanked by ditches, there's no place for cars to go to get out of the way when an emergency vehicle needs to come through," says Mogged
Council member Chris Putnam agrees the road needs improvement, but says not at the cost of private property, or of Colleyville's identity.
"We want to protect this street. It should be a residential street. This road is so endemic of Colleyville's natural character. I would hate to threaten that," says Putnam.
And both sides disagree on what a vote in favor of Resolution 1 really means for future roadwork.
"If you vote for the resolution. You are voting the freeze the road in its current situation," Mogged says.
"There is nothing in the resolution that prevents us from voting to do this work in a way where less is more: less time, less money, and less impact to private property," Putnam says.
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