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| Photo by David W. Smith/Daily News Bowling Green Mayor Elaine Walker speaks with residents Monday about a future housing development during the Summer Stroll in the Lynwood Way area. |
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Not many residents of the South Meade neighborhood turned out to walk with city officials Monday night, but those who did had several complaints.
About a dozen adults joined all city commissioners and commission candidate Robin Baldwin, several city department heads, police and firefighters, and representatives of Bowling Green Municipal Utilities and Scott Waste Services for the first Summer Stroll through the area. A few more residents, with children and dogs, drifted in or out over the course of the walk.
Bowling Green Police Sgt. Josh Hughes, district supervisor for the area, said South Meade is one of the lowest-crime neighborhoods, partly due to vigilant residents who call in any suspicious incidents.
“You all have been outstanding in assisting us doing our jobs,” he said.
City Neighborhood Action Coordinator Karen Foley said she hopes residents will revive the area’s Neighborhood Watch group.
Walking down Lynnwood Way, several people asked Commissioner Joe Denning if the city was responsible for trimming trees and bushes planted in the median. Denning called for Public Works Director Emmett Wood and Street Supervisor Bobby Phelps.
Phelps said the city will mow grass in the median, but not trim larger plants; Wood said they’d only be trimmed if they cause a line-of-sight problem.
A problem in several neighborhoods, Denning said, is landscaping planted by subdivision builders but then left for someone else to maintain.
Lucinda Drive resident Roy Annabel harangued several officials, including police Chief Doug Hawkins and Mayor Elaine Walker, about vicious dogs. He said that he and his parents have been attacked by roaming dogs several times, and accused police of ignoring his complaints.
Walker said that he should file formal complaints on each occasion, and agree to press charges.
Deputy Police Chief John Stewart said this morning that he searched police records for Annabel’s address, and that his last contact - from December - ended when he declined to file a vicious animal report. The incident about which Annabel complained the most wasn’t reported for two weeks after it happened, but did result in a court case for which a jury trial was scheduled, Stewart said.
As walkers started to turn one direction down Kirtley Way, resident Sheri Combs called them back to the end of a stub street.
“We’ve got some complaints,” she said.
On Aug. 7, landowner Mike Hymer won approval from the City-County Planning Commission to rezone nearly three acres at the end of Kirtley Way for six buildings, each with four condominium units. Planning commissioners voted for it 6-2, despite the opposition of several neighbors. It’s headed for a second vote by city commissioners, and detailed plans would come back before the planning commission.
Hymer agreed to a 25-foot landscape buffer and 6-foot fence encircling much of the project. He said they’ll be sold for about $110,000, with any unsold units rented out for $750 to $800 a month.
Combs and others said they were still worried about the possible increase in traffic from the new development, and the quality of potential renters, especially large numbers of college students.
Walker said that if more than two unrelated people rent and move into a unit, that would violate single-family zoning standards. The city has recently taken over enforcing the zoning ordinance, so neighbors should report any such violation to City Central at 393-3000, she said.






