Atwater Rd.- A Pedestrian-Free Zone

 Letter to the Editor:

It was most interesting see to the front page article and editorial last
week on the situation of the school bus dilemma at the junction of Atwater
and Webb Roads.

I specifically pointed out this potential issue to the Board of Supervisors
at their meeting on January 5, 2004 when I discussed the pending
overdevelopment of Atwater Road. As usual, we received the nods of the
heads and NO ACTION IN PRESERVING OUR NEIGHBORHOOD.

It was a done deal with irreversible consequences. It is now clear this
further desecration of our road has come to pass; it is not even safe for
adults to venture out with the increased traffic - mainly construction
vehicles- during the day.

I have personally observed oversized vehicles back up Atwater Road and
destroy the easements because they were unable to negotiate the bends in the
road; they drove right over the edges of the pavement.

This was brought to the Supervisors' attention this past spring with the
usual ho-hum response from them. With the 50% increase in population from
all of the new speculative houses, the situation will become even worse.

As a point of information, the destruction of a significant portion of the
scenic beauty of Atwater has already taken place, with a huge swath of
impervious black top and clear cutting of the trees for a 1/4 mile stretch
to the development sites at the top of the hill.

Yes, it looks just like McMullen Farm Rd. which I displayed to the
Supervisors at one of their meetings.

For 30 years, children were able to walk down Atwater Road to the school
bus. National decay continues whether it is in New Orleans or Chadds Ford.

Lana Sheer
Atwater Rd.