Your Voice

My husband and I enjoyed a fun evening at The Downs for the Kentucky Derby. As I think about the plans for that property, I’m struggling to see how this benefits our community. We moved here to have access to a calmer, more nature-filled life beyond the concrete jungle. I can only think of a long list of disadvantages that will come with the larger population.

• Higher crime rates

• Larger student-to-teacher ratio

• Greater congestion

• Fewer parking spots in downtown

• Longer waits for tables or seats at our favorite restaurants

• More traffic issues

• More pollution

• More landfill waste

What exactly are the advantages?

Susan Carbott

Would Northville’s downtown streets be closed if we never had Covid? More than 600 pink signs continue to line the streets in opposition to the downtown street closures. The old survey never offered a compromise with eating on safe platforms with slow traffic. City Council voted to keep streets closed forcing local traffic into side streets all day. There was no consideration of opening the streets on weekdays. Northville is the only city in Michigan I’m aware of that has the main artery closed. Northville Schools Superintendent RJ Webber recently said he wanted the streets open to help with school buses which includes 14 other districts that bus their children to Cooke School here in Northville.

There are 13 eating establishments on the two barricaded streets. By my count, only six want to eat in the street, and only one is serving lunch in the street. Maybe it’s time to elect a Council that will listen to the majority, the schools, the Mobility Task Force and open the streets except for special events and concentrate on the Downs development before that also spins out of control.

Jim Nield

I’ve read a lot of different articles/opinion pieces about the closing of the streets in Northville. I love the street closures. I’ve spent a ridiculous amount of money in Northville since the closures. I’ve also brought my friends and work colleagues with me to show off our downtown area. I convinced my parents to move to Northville last year (they now live down the street from me and we go out to eat once a week downtown). Everyone absolutely loves it.

I’ve read opinion pieces stating that the stores are more difficult to access because there is no street parking. There is hardly any street parking on Main Street at all so this argument just makes zero sense to me. Prior to the street closures - I never once parked on Main Street. I always parked in the lots behind the stores. I just find it hard to believe that street closures have anything to do with struggling businesses.

Some of the business owners who are complaining about this have some of the most ridiculous hours I’ve ever seen in my entire life. I work 60-65 hours per week. My office is in Farmington Hills and my core hours are 8:30 a.m.-5:30 p.m. The majority of retail businesses on Main and Center close at 6. I couldn’t shop at them if I wanted to Monday-Friday (unless I took time off work). If the business owners want more business, perhaps they should amend their hours so that working people can patronize their establishments.

Jess Suda

I’m very disappointed with the decision to only partially open up downtown. While I completely understood the need to close it down during the Covid epidemic, it is now time to return to normal. Downtown today is an eyesore and, quite frankly, an embarrassment. It used to be a town that I was proud of. No longer. It looks like a construction site. Let’s re-open downtown and put this Covid period behind us.

Mark Bensett

I’m curious as to where the impetuous for the “Let’s Open Northville” movement is originating. It appears to be well organized and financed, unlike the original movement to close the streets, which had no obvious funding. My guess is that some of the individuals that originally were in favor of the closure have discovered their mistake and now have flip-flopped.

Speaking of mistakes and flip-flops, the City Council would very rarely make a mistake if they always did what is best for the Northville community as a whole rather than succumbing to what appears to be the pressures of various vested interests.

A huge congratulations to Northville’s Silver Springs Elementary by making a global impact for education. They are one of just 14 schools in the world to receive the Legacy Award (through the Leader In Me program). What an achievement!

Sally Simkins