Letter: Petition author disagrees with Olson’s assertion

To the editor,
At the last city council meeting, Wes Olson of the planning commission, claimed that Greeley Avenue homeowners were lied to when presented with a petition objecting to changing this one-way street to two-way traffic. Homeowners were not lied to, and the petition was not based on misinformation, but responded to Mr. Olson's issues of safety, street parking/alley access, wrong way traffic, and the Trailblazer bus at Millie Beneke Manor. The petition also included fears of what could occur to our street in order to accommodate two-way traffic, and it also made suggestions for Trailblazer bus loading at the Manor.
Apparently our petition infuriated Mr. Olson because he angrily exclaimed that homeowners were lied to, being told that the city “will widen the streets, cut down all the trees and no parking on one side or the other” (Glencoe City Council meeting video, https://vimeo.com/334550280) in order to accommodate two-way traffic. The homeowners were not told that these things would occur, nor were they told that Mr. Olson said that these things would occur. I know this because I am the person who went door to door with the petition.
Never did I say that the city “is,” “will,” or “is proposing” to do these things. However, discussions included these issues as fears, that they “could” be a “possibility” in the future because these were things that homeowners didn't want to occur. Many of the homeowners articulated these ideas themselves at the mere mention of the proposed traffic change.
Please note that the terms “is,” “will,” or “is going to” are completely different than “could,” “possible,” and “possibility.”
The petition did not say that the city is proposing to make such changes in order to accommodate two-way traffic. But because the homeowners were in fear that they could happen in the future, the petition addressed them. The basis of the petition was the fact that the majority of homeowners on the one-way street oppose changing the traffic flow for various reasons.
At this time, I am unable to respond to Mr. Olson's issues of safety, street parking/alley access, wrong way traffic, and the Trailblazer bus because editorial allowances are only 500 words.

Jackie M. Moehring
Glencoe