Residents Say Old Bonhomme Road Project Would Destroy Street's Charm

Olivette City Council members heard an earful from residents in the area along Old Bonhomme Road Tuesday night who say a project set to reconstruct a 2 mile stretch of the road between University City and Olive Boulevard will have a significant impact on property values and the charm that led them to the neighborhood.

City Public Works Director Mike Gartenberg told the The St. Louis Post Dispatch that there is residential support for the project. "There are some very significant problems with that street," Gartenberg told the paper. "There is a small group of people opposed to the widening of the sidewalks."

"Our property is going to be severely impacted by the project," Barbara Minton said, according to a recording of the meeting available on the city's website. She noted the fact that a 51 year old privacy hedge would disappear as part of the project.

Her husband John said they chose Olivette because it was a country setting without being in the country, and that the reconstruction would turn a country lane into a "mini boulevard."

Several residents complained about the width of the sidewalks under the plan, which would be five feet wide. Patch has previously reported that the width was required under federal guidelines.

Gartenberg told the Post-Dispatch that the project was in the engineering design phase.

See Also:

• Pictures & Chart of the Plans for the Old Bonhomme Road Rebuild
• Old Bonhomme Road Will be Rebuilt From End to End
• City Officials Hold Informational Meeting About the Rebuild of Old Bonhomme Road