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Session 1315, Minutes Page 6 September 20, 1982 residents would agree that as low a traffic volume as possible should be maintained, and also that the width of the street should be kept to the University City minimum of 28 feet, He requested that a public hearing be held after engineering drawings are finished and prior to construction. He also noted that the style of curbing in Brittany Woods was different than in other sections of the City and he said he would like the curbing to match or be similar to that already there. Mr. Larry Sipkin, 8044 Cornell, asked to address the Council. Mr. Sipkin enumerated the difficulties encountered with Gay Avenue last winter during and after the severe weather and also the problems concerning the repair of the street, which he said was not done properly. He said repaving the street was not necessary, but the crown should be taken out of the middle of the street and the shrubbery cut so that traf- fic signs may be seen. Mr. Richard Homans, 716 Brittany Lane, asked to address the Council. He said he re- alized something must be done about Gay Avenue, but he felt the benefits would go to those who travel the street and not necessarily to those whose property adjoins the street. He felt residents, who would be paying an average of $550, would not receive that much back in benefits. He also thought it might be illegal under the Hancock amendment. He said something should be done about the street quickly, but adjoining property owners should not be asked to pay. Mr. Bernard Susman, 712 Brittany Lane, asked to address the Council. Mr. Susman noted he had been before the Council several times previously, calling their atten- tion to the poor condition of Gay Avenue. He said he received a petition from Mr. Ollendorff, which he circulated, noting that 63% of the property owners abutting the street had signed the petition. He pointed out that this neighborhood was one of the nicest in University City, and he did not think anyone living there could not afford to pay $5.50 per foot of frontage to improve the street the way it should be, He said the street was in dreadful condition, and he recounted the damages his property has suffered because of it. He said it was beneath the dignity of Univer- sity City to have a street like that., Mayor Mooney closed the public hearing at 8:55 p.m. Mrs. Metcalfe said she thought several of the speakers misunderstood the method for improving streets in University City, and she wished to explain., The process of im- proving unimproved streets has been in effect for many years, and the City has been moving toward all streets receiving proper curbing, guttering, drainage and founda- tion as well as surfacing, and that there were very few unimproved streets left. She said residents have always paid a small part of the cost, with the City assum- ing a substantial portion of it, and the only exception to this policy has been a few streets in low-income neighborhoods which were resurfaced with Community Devel- opment funds. She said the same kind of policy was in effect throughout the County, and in some municipalities, residents pay a larger portion than they do in Univer- sity City. She pointed out that once a street was improved, the resident would no longer pay a portion if the street was resurfaced at a later time, although some municipalities charge their residents for this also. She said she and Mr. Levy and staff would like to meet with the residents and discuss the matter further. Mr. Raskas returned to the microphone to reiterate his earlier requests. Mr. Ollen- dorff and Mrs. Metcalfe both assured Mr. Raskas and others in his neighborhood that