В Южной Бенде обсудили угрозы безопасности из-за единственного въезда в новый жилой комплекс

Fire officials weigh in on safety concerns at Lafayette Fall Neighborhood in South Bend SOUTH BEND, Ind. (WSBT) — Residents in one South Bend neighborhood are again raising concerns about a bottleneck effect with their only entrance as construction moves ahead on nearly 115 new homes. On Tuesday, leaders with the South Bend Fire Department weighed in on the safety issues with the Lafayette Falls Neighborhood. "150 homes is gonna be a serious concern," said Leonard Moretti, a Lafayette Falls resident. For Lafayette Falls residents, concerns about the neighborhood’s only official entrance and exit are nothing new. WSBT 22 first reported on them nearly a year ago. RELATED: South Bend residents voice traffic concerns as Lafayette Falls subdivision expands Now, with roughly 115 new homes planned behind the subdivision, neighbors say the issue is becoming more urgent. That would bring the neighborhood to nearly 400 homes with just one official way in and out. "I was involved in two events where we could not get into our complex except for Spanish Trails, and that traffic was extremely busy at that point in time. So a second entrance is gonna be a critical, critical piece," said Moretti. It’s not just about getting residents in and out; it’s also about whether first responders can get in quickly during an emergency. The subdivision in city limits near Centre Township’s Fire Station, which operates separately from South Bend Fire. Any additional coverage would require an agreement between the two departments. "I think what we're planning to do is have one or two key members from our community speak at the budget meeting to make sure that we're included in the fire chief's budget in terms of getting Centre Township to help cover us," said Alissa Hardig, Lafayette Falls Neighborhood Association president. Councilman Oliver Davis and Councilwoman Sherry Bolden-Simpson also attended Tuesday’s meeting, hearing neighbors’ concerns and sharing their own. WSBT asked what city council members can do to help push for change. "Well, one thing that we can do is attending these meetings and rallying the people, letting them know that their voice matters, their vote counts, and together we can put pressure on the developer," said Sherry Bolden-Simpson, (D) South Bend councilwoman. The South Bend city budget meeting will be next Thursday. The Lafayette Falls Neighborhood Association plans on speaking out as the fire department's budget is negotiated, hoping their neighborhood could be serviced by both Center Township and South Bend in case of an emergency.