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Session 1239, Minutes Page 5 <br />March 10, 1980 <br />Councilman Adams called for the.question,.and all voted Aye that the application <br />should be denied. <br />PUBLIC HEARING ON CLOSURE -OF GRQBY RQAD. <br />The City Manager said the Council scheduled a public hearing at 9:00 p.m. to con- <br />sider a recommendation of the Traffic Commission that the City Council authorize <br />the closure of Groby Road between Swarthmore and Gay/81st 'Streets from 8:00 a.m. <br />to 4:00 p.m. on school days (generally Monday through: Friday), that specific bar- <br />ricade locations be as recommended by the City Engineer, that the authority for <br />the closure, -remain in -.effect only as long as personnel of Brittany Middle School <br />assume responsibility for the daily erection and removal of the barricades, and <br />that the City of University City provide the barricades and install any signs <br />necessary to direct traffic to alternate routes. The public hearing opened at <br />9:05 P.M. <br />Ms Jennifer Halasey, 7301 Cornell, a sixth grade student at Brittany Middle School, <br />asked to address the Council. Ms Halasey spoke in favor of closing Groby Road dur- <br />ing school hours on school days. <br />Mrs. Eileen Halasey, 7301 Cornell, mother of Jennifer, asked to address the Coun- <br />cil. Mrs. Halasey is also in favor of installing the barricades on Groby so that <br />school children will be protected when they cross in the middle of the day. <br />Mr. Emmanuel C. Paxhia, 6368 Washington, chairman of the Traffic Commission, asked <br />to address the Council. Mr.Paxhia said he was speaking as a private citizen and <br />not as a member of the Traffic Commission. He spoke against the closure of Groby <br />Road, feeling that students are crossing for only five minutes out of each hour, <br />which does not justify.closing the street for eight hours a day. He felt there <br />were other solutions to the problem, and thought the School Board, since it had <br />set up the, system where children must cross Groby, should take a greater responsi- <br />bility in solving the problem. He felt the responsibility had been improperly <br />pushed upon the City. He agreed there should be crossing guards in the morning <br />and after school, since children are traveling between school and home, but thought <br />when children are traveling between two schools, this falls within the area of re- <br />sponsibility of the school district. <br />Ms Lois Hachtmeyer, principal of Brittany Middle School, asked to address the Coun- <br />cil. She said there are from 250 to 300 students who must cross Groby Road during <br />the.schaol-day,.and asked that the barricades be put in place in order to protect <br />the safety of those children. <br />Mr. John Wright, president of the School Board, asked to address the Council. He <br />encouraged the Council to vote in favor of closing Groby Road. He said the School <br />Board felt this was the .best .and most economical way of. protecting_.the .children <br />who must cross.Groby during the day., . <br />Mr. Wright also thanked the Council for supporting the transfer proposal (voted on <br />March 4) which passed.by_.a margin..of-_77..,9%,. _ Re. -said -he. hoped the. City's bond pro- <br />posals also .pass,..and .read .into_ .the ._recor.d. the following statement: <br />"The University City Sc.hool..-Boar.d..of...Education-.unanimously endorses the <br />bond proposals to be submitted by the City of University City to the <br />voters at the April lst municipal election. The passage of the house- <br />keeping proposals is necessary to_preserve the fine gab,lic buildings that <br />