A concept plan for a 234-unit apartment complex between Center Street and Orem Boulevard was met with harsh opposition from residents who finished a previous battle with different contractors on the same spot 18 months ago.
"We didn't really expect to be back here within a year, fighting about this all over again," said Scott Nuttal, referring to area residents' successful campaign to halt the construction of a 240-unit complex in November of 1992.The opposition was enough to make the City Council conclude the Tuesday night debate by ordering a traffic survey before any further action is taken on the 13-acre site.
Safety in the area tops residents' list of concerns.
"We are scared for the safety of children in the area, but also for the safety of the potential residents the complex would bring," said Mike Agrelius.
"It would increase the traffic generally and would force cars into our neighborhood - we think this is dangerous," said nearby resident Mark Seiler.
Children from the complex would cross two or three major streets, including Center, State and Orem Boulevard, to get to several juvenile hangouts, like Smith's Food and Drug, City Center Park, Chuck E. Cheese Pizza restaurant and the Orem City library.
"It's a recipe for an accident," said Laurie Huntington.
"We question the wisdom of placing a complex that big in the middle of the city's most congested area," Sieler said.
Paul Washburn of Gardner Development said he feels problems with safety near the site are being blown out of proportion.
"If the parents in the area are able to control their kids, why wouldn't the people in the complex be able to control their kids?" he said.
"With a playground, clubhouse, swimming pool and plenty of space, our project will have more facilities than the parks and stores around it would," he said.
Washburn said he feels his company is doing the best it can to develop the land it has to work with.
"People just don't realize that these will be very nice apartments," Washburn said. "We looked at a lot commercial uses for the land and we feel this project will have the least amount of impact with traffic."
"I think we have bent over backward and forward to make this work with the local residents," he said.
But Seiler feels the contractors are only out to make a profit. "They are looking to make a killing, and it just might be our kids," he said.