The Garrison St. neighbors respond (2)

Festival UnBound
Ten days of original theatre, dance, music, art and conversation designed to celebrate and imagine our future together!
October 4-13

(4th in a series of posts about 11 and 15 W. Garrison St.)

Garrison St.

More beautiful Bethlehem voices–

Voices worrying about practical things like damage to foundations in an area in which there was a sinkhole, but mainly worrying about damage to community, serenity, peace, safety, beauty — yes, beauty (who’s in charge of Beauty in Bethlehem, Gadfly has asked).

Julie Cordero (17 W. Garrison)

  • It’s a safe place to live. It’s an affordable place to live.
  • I have two kids in the Bethlehem School district who walk to school.
  • How does breaking ground affect my foundation and foundations down the street?
  • My house is my heart, my home.
  • I don’t really see that as a feasible option to break ground for a 74-space parking garage . . .
  • I’m a disability advocate . . . we have people on our street who have wheelchairs and are on walkers. You gonna shut down Garrison St. [during construction] and make everyone walk?
  • Is this street going to be closed down for weeks on end?
  • Housing for veterans . . . I’m all for that . . . if it doesn’t carry on into Garrison St. which is a well-established family neighborhood.

Vanessa Torres (23 W. Garrison St.)

  • I come from New York. I left New York to get away from high-rises and buildings.
  • I left New York city to be in a calm, beautiful environment, and I love my neighbors, and I know everyone’s name,
  • But for that I just move back to New York city, a high-rise with so many families, such a busy environment.

_____ Toledo (18 W. Garrison)

  • I like a family.
  • We have community there.
  • We’re not going to feel safe there.
  • [Now] all the kids are outside playing, and we feel safe there.
  • So if there are two big buildings across the street, I know a lot of us won’t feel safe there.
  • [she speaks for others in the audience]
  • applause

Chewing? Next, comments from a couple of resident gadflies, who do not live in the neighborhood.

Festival UnBound

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