Grand Plaza Liquors

To Whom It May Concern:

I am the owner of Grand Plaza Liquors. For over 35 years the business has resided on Washington Ave. I am the second owner and have had it for over 25 years.

The changes on Underhill Ave. have put a strain on my business. The islands placed in the center of the street with planters and boulders make it difficult for my delivery trucks to get around them (The same applies to emergency vehicles). I strongly believe the barriers on Underhill Ave. should be removed in order to make the streets straight once again.

Driving customers are finding it difficult to support my business because of the parking situation created by the streets redesign. Normally if they can’t find parking on Washington Ave. they will drive around on the side streets and easily find a parking space. This is no longer the case, since many parking spots were lost by the redesign on Underhill. They’re now taking a chance by double parking to run inside the store at the risk of getting a ticket. In some instances, my staff is forced to meet them outside to make the transaction in an effort to spare them from getting a summons.

The major issue here is that all these changes were made without an impact study, These changes affect the storekeepers and residents. However, no one has taken the time to get our input before these aggressive changes. Although it may benefit a few good people, still, an impact study should be the way to approach these changes.