My wife and I have lived on West Cook Road for seven years and we are strongly opposed to the proposed development project on West Cook Road for various reasons.
The section of West Cook Road between Lexington Avenue and the Mansfield Board of Education office is a long, well-paved straightaway. The posted speed limit is 35 mph, however it is a racetrack with vehicles routinely traveling well in excess of 50 mph or 60 mph on this stretch.
This section of West Cook Road is a cut-through between Lexington Avenue and Trimble Road. People want to get from one end of this stretch to the other as quickly as possible, totally ignoring the fact that they are speeding through a residential neighborhood with walkers, bicyclists, joggers and children playing.
We have witnessed several times, motorcycles traveling at high speeds doing “wheelies” in front of our house. Pickup trucks, cars and semi trucks all speed past. When slowing down to pull in our driveway we have been honked at, given the middle finger and yelled at.
I have contacted the Mansfield Police realizing that they are stretched thin manpower-wise. All they can offer as a solution is to put up one of those speed monitoring signs that record your speed. My neighbors and ourselves are sick and tired of the speeding and aggressive driving. Enough!
With increased traffic from this proposed development, the situation will get worse. We live near the intersection of West Cook and Woodhill Roads and this intersection is the scene of many accidents.
We already have had a small taste of what increased traffic from this proposed development will do to our Woodland neighborhood. Last year while Trimble Road was closed due to the bike trail tunnel construction, traffic increased greatly on West Cook and Woodhill Roads, and so did the accidents. People used these streets to get around the Trimble Road closure.
We routinely saw at least 1 or 2 accidents per week at this intersection with several other near misses every day. Some days the sound of honking horns and screeching tires seemed to go on all day.
I fear our property values will go down drastically, especially if the commercial development phase is allowed. Who wants to live on a heavily-traveled road down the street from a strip mall or apartment complex that will look out-of-date in five years?
The Woodland neighborhood was and still is considered one of the crown jewels as far as neighborhoods go in Mansfield. If this proposed development goes through, our quiet streets with be filled with noisy vehicles speeding along to their destinations and our yards filled with trash from the restaurants and stores.
Have you ever paid attention to all of the trash in Ontario or by Kroger on Lexington Avenue?
With the Solar Farm decision earlier this year, Richland County Commissioners decided that the well-being of community members surrounding a project was more important than a few people wanting to make a profit. This situation is no different. A few people from Columbus will profit while the surrounding neighborhoods will suffer.
I realize that at some point this land will be developed. While I would love to see a green space park that would compliment the B&O Bike Trail Connector and the Western Reserve Nature Conservancy being developed on land adjacent to the Bike Trail Connector, I know this would be a long shot.
Sadly it’s all about money and greed.
Why not develop this land for medical and professional building use? The reason being, traffic would increase during weekdays, however in the evenings and weekends our surrounding neighborhoods would resort back to the more peaceful existence we are used to.
This land development issue is not about whether to develop the land or not to develop the land. The issue is choosing the appropriate type of development that will exist in harmony with the surrounding neighborhoods and families. The current development proposal being discussed is not the solution.
Spend an hour on a warm afternoon in our yard witnessing the insanity on West Cook and Woodhill Roads and you will understand our opposition.
Thank you.
Randy Sowash
Mansfield, Ohio