Avondale Estates is holding a visual demonstration for a potential roundabout at the North Clarendon Avenue/Laredo Drive intersection, 9 a.m.-10:45 a.m. August 17 (Saturday), with participants/observers meeting up at City Hall, 21 North Avondale Plaza.
City consultant Stantec will delineate the proposed roundabout’s boundaries with chalk, flags, traffic cones and other materials.
This project was identified in the city’s 2014 Downtown Master plan, and during a June meeting two Stantec representatives both favored a roundabout for this intersection.
“We like roundabouts almost everywhere, in terms of operational efficiency and safety,” said Mitchell Greenway, a Stantec principal in transportation. “The drawback is that they can take up real estate, and residents can get nervous about change.”
Residents get an opportunity to voice opinions during Saturday’s demonstration and also during a follow-up meeting, 6 p.m.-8 p.m. Thursday August 22 at city hall.
A roundabout would likely take out a portion of parking lots belonging to businesses on two Laredo/Clarendon corners. A third corner has a 60-inch oak tree that’s probably much older than Avondale Estates itself, but Greenway has previously stated, “We won’t [build] anywhere close to that tree.”
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