Southwest Lansing (MI) and my neighborhood

Last night, Thursday-April 24, more than a dozen residents of the Averill Woods Neighborhood Association got together to listen, learn and share their mutual concerns about the section of southwest Lansing where we live.

Here are my notes:

1. Next meeting of the Averill Woods Neighborhood Association will take place at 7 pm at the Averill Woods Elementary School. Everyone is invited to get the latest info about what’s happening in their neighborhood and to offer their comments and concerns.
2. There will be a clean-up of the Averill Woods park and adjacent forested area on Saturday, May 17 at 9 am where neighbors will pick-up junk and trash and clear out brush and other unnecessary growth. The park and forest is adjacent to the Averill Woods School.
3. The Lansing Police Department officer assigned to the neighborhood reported that many residents in the area and in the city have made calls about slingshots being used to break home and vehicle windows.
4. He also shared that there’s been a seasonal uptick in break-ins, assaults involving neighbors, road rage and incidents involving domestic violence. He urged caution for residents in situations requiring patience because many westside residents have guns. He also said that disagreements that get out of control have resulted in taking offenders to jail.
5. Neighborhood leaders also urged residents to walk through or by neighborhood parks as a way of discouraging and observing unwanted activities.
6. A city traffic engineer also shared how Averill Woods neighbors can get speed bumps on their streets. He outlined the steps which start with a study of traffic on the street. Presently, the Lansing City Council has a moratorium on spending for these speed control measures.
7. There was also discussion about upcoming changes at the Pleasant Grove/Holmes Road intersection and the addition of a left-turn lane on Holmes Road at Waverly.