Letters From Our Readers

Lower Hurstville Resident Opposes Romney Development Plans

Dear Councilwoman Guidry,

Thank you for your attention to the development project along the 5600 block of Magazine Street. My husband and I have dedicated the last 7 years of our lives to rehabilitating a foreclosed property on Joseph Street, less than 2 blocks from the Romney construction project. We have raised our two children (ages 7 and 4) at this location as we have painstakingly poured ourselves into improving not only our home, but our city and community.

We are extremely distressed over the development of the Romney Pilates project. There is no question that the documents disclosed at the BZA hearing are inconsistent with what is currently being developed. Further, any assertions that the neighbors who live within a walking radius of the project would be supportive of it are soundly false: there is no way our neighborhood can support an additional business who expects to serve 10-20 clients and 8 employees each day. We do not have the street parking to support this. As it stands, the recent addition of Pinkberry to the same block brought a dramatic increase in parking pressure; we cannot accommodate another large capacity business on that block of Magazine Street.

I appreciate your dedication to representing community members in local issues and understand how you value neighborhood involvement and community rights. Please help us be heard: we were not made aware of the Romney plans in construction, we are distressed at the inconsistencies in what they initially presented at BZA and their current intentions, and would like to be clear that as residents who live within 2 blocks of the project, are NOT in support of their efforts.

I am grateful for your time and efforts in this issue and hope that there will be opportunities to do what is best for our neighborhood.

Respectfully,
Holly Scheib
—
Holly Ann Scheib, PhD, MPH, MSW

Read more about the issue here.