East Campus neighborhood residents, property owners re-look at lighting issues
Residents and property owners still say lighting on East Campus needs to be fixed.
ABC 17 News has been following the lighting issues since 2014 when a student started a petition asking the city to install more lights in the area.
Students, residents say they don’t feel safe walking around at night due to the lighting.
Molly Hart, a sophomore, told ABC 17 News that the lighting can be so bad in certain areas that she has tripped before.
In 2016, Councilwoman Betsy Peters and the neighborhood association president walked the neighborhood and agreed there was enough lighting in the area.
ABC 17 News spoke with Peters Wednesday night, she told us that there wasn’t any specific area listed as to where the lighting was needed. She also said she is open to re-looking at the lighting.
Tim Ward, East Campus Major Housing Association president, told ABC 17 News at the end of September about 40 people including students, property owners and Peters walked the east campus neighborhood again. University students documented light readings, along with took pictures and interviewed residents.
Ward said MU students took the incentive to do the walk after the city’s environment and energy commission voted that the lighting was fine in the area.
The report hasn’t been finalized yet but Ward said it’s a step in the right direction to get the lighting issue back on people’s mind. He said it’s unclear whether this will go to City Council. Until the report data is finalized, a decision will be made then.
The Wednesday meeting also opened up the dialogue for another neighborhood association creation. Residents and property owners that showed up to the community development meeting voiced their frustrations with the current East Campus Neighborhood Association saying they weren’t being represented appropriately.
Residents said it’s often times very hard to get a hold of the neighborhood association president, a lack of notification on meetings and events.
The East Campus Neighborhood Association president did not attend the Wednesday night meeting.
