To the editor:

The DLR Group’s flawed “plan” for consolidating (closing) Riverside, East Heights, and Centennial elementary schools greatly concerns children, families, and homeowners in the 12 affected neighborhoods of: North Michigan, Riveridge, Riverside, Brook Creek I, Edgewood, Oak Hill, Marvonne Acres Melholland, and University Place.

Closing these three schools will affect 12 neighborhoods by:

1) Reducing owner-occupied home values by 20 percent to 30 percent .

2) Raising property taxes (for unneeded schools).

3) Increasing transportation costs for families who can least afford it.

4) Making these neighborhoods undesirable for families, thus causing:

a) Families to move (possibly OUT of Lawrence).

b) These neighborhoods to be undesirable for NEW residents.

c) Current owner-occupied homes to become rental housing.

d) Current single-family zoned areas to become multifamily zoned.

e) Central Lawrence to become a “student ghetto” (40 percent already is).

f) Central Lawrence businesses to suffer.

Current (ineffective) single-family zoning continues to adversely impact ALL of central Lawrence. New, unsold single-family zoned houses are being rented to multiple unrelated persons by unscrupulous builders.

There are currently over 1,000 empty seats in existing elementary schools.

Readjusting boundaries WILL solve enrollment problems for both over and under-utilized schools while preserving existing buildings. Improvements : YES! Huge add-ons: NO!

Why spend $62 million to fix a nonexistent problem ?

Lawrence should revitalize single-family zoned neighborhoods by making them DESIRABLE for families. Closing three schools will do the OPPOSITE!

Please, BOE, “Don’t turn us into “over-taxed bumpkins”!

Bob Blank,

Lawrence