SEAFORD, DE - A petition to remove the gate located on Magnolia Drive separating the Bell Ayre development from the rest of the neighborhood has gained traction with over 100 signees.
Organizers currently plan to submit the petition to city hall on Friday Morning. The mayor will then be able to decide if a gate discussion will be added to the agenda for the August 22nd town council meeting.
Roxanne Knight, who helped organize the petition, says she is hoping for extra time to discuss the issue -- and says a potential neighborhood discussion physically at the gate is in the works.
“The city official said we could have a meeting about it, but they don’t want us having a shouting match about it at the council meeting. We’re hoping to schedule a new meeting coming up soon.”
Mayor David Genshaw tells WBOC that the goal of the gate is still community safety for all. The Police department tells WBOC it was a last resort for an area that had severe speeding issues.
Neighbors against the gate in Seaford tell WBOC among various concerns, they worry the time that emergency vehicles need to take to physically unlock the gate to get through or go around the long way will cost precious life saving moments. Emergency Services do have the ability to unlock the gate in necessary situations.
Brooke Lyons, who's son, Ryker, suffers from Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy which has left him unable to walk and with a 100% terminal rate -- says the extra time needed could leave them in a horrible situation.
"This Cattle Gate, where we are shut off, is not okay, it's not acceptable. And someone is going to pay the price for that, I'm afraid in a medical emergency."
Lyons added that the physical barrier of the gate adds extra stress, time, and roadblocks for her son to properly access the neighborhood. She has submitted a complaint with both DelDoT and the attorney general.
“There’s no handicap or wheelchair access from curb to curb, so what should be a 10 minute walk turns into an almost 40 minute walk, we have to go around blocks and different streets often walking in the street.”
