The Franklin Reporter & Advocate Eight Villages, One Community
By Diane Mackay, Somerset.
Chains for Wild Animals? Nope. Just for Somerset Mews Residents.
On April 7, when many were preparing for the most sacred Christian weekend, our tax dollars were being used to build chains.
Julie Court, a small public road off of Westminster Road and located behind Ari Drive, is a road where students get dropped off for their school bus, residences of beautiful houses are located, and then there’s chains. Yes, chains, two to be precise. Chains, approved to block out Somerset Mews residents from using a public road. Chains, approved by your elected city council members. Chains, paid for by the tax dollars from your wallets. So what, you may say. So yes, it’s infuriating.
I have lived here for nine years in Somerset Mews. I reside near the back end of the complex connecting to Julie Court. My children use that school bus stop. My husband is disabled, in a wheelchair. I had the comfort of knowing he could drive the short distance to get my children to the bus while I work. Now, that cannot happen. Julie Court residents can bring their children to the bus stop, but we can’t. There is no place, though now forced to walk to the bus stop, for my husband’s wheelchair to get by through the chains. Yes, we could drive out of our complex and back through Somerset Park and turn off Westminster on to Julie Court, but that’s 1.5 miles. So where do we turn? The council? No, they said chaining us in was fine. Do council members have children? Can their children get to the school bus without worry? I wonder. Now with several luring incidents, I have to let my young children walk alone to the bus stop.
Emergencies? I guess no resident in Somerset Mews would have none. The back end of Ari has only one entrance so if there’s a fire, our residences will burn. If someone needs EMS, they have to travel an extra way because of no turn off street, unless of course, they drive through chains.
Accidents? Very frequent on Route 27, especially in front of Somerset Mews. If the entrance off 27 is blocked, how do we get in to the complex? We don’t! Because of the chains.
In closing this was horrible decision made by the council. They did not think of all Somerset residents. We, in Somerset Mews, don’t live in $400,000 houses, we live in rented apartments. That deems you worthy of being chained and restricted to drive on to a public road. Donald Trump wants to build a wall to keep people out of America using our tax dollars. Right here, in Franklin Township, they build chains to keep people off of public roads. What, I ask is the difference? It’s inhumane, it’s insulting, and it’s a disgrace that such an ordinance was passed. Shame on you Franklin Township City Council.
