Forever Green Road will be extended to run behind the Kempf Subdivision, a small neighborhood off 12th Avenue, and connect to Kelsey Lane.  

The design plans require the removal of trees that border backyards behind the neighborhood. The road may even include a section of private property.

According to Forever Green Road Extension, the Phase 1 connection will create convenience for everyday travelers and those exiting Interstate 80 and 380.

Bill Erb, landowner in Kelsey Court, is concerned about the effect the new road will have on his property. 

Erb and other neighbors contacted the city with questions about construction. They found that plans had already been finalized, and modifications would be unlikely. 

The neighborhood fears that increased traffic flow throughout the Kempf Subdivision could jeopardize the safety of the neighborhood. 

“We’ve asked the city to put a secondary bypass road over to the school for North Central Middle School…The city came back saying that due to lane acquisitions, approval by the DOT and time frames, that it might not be adequate to build it to change that plan,” Erb said. 

Kelsey Feldman, a resident of the Kempf Subdivision, is concerned about the connection to Kelsey Lane. 

“It [the Forever Green Road extension] was more of a concept a decade ago, and then back in July, all of us in the neighborhood found out from a Press Citizen article that this [the connection to Kelsey Lane] would be starting this spring,” said Feldman. 

Feldman expressed that the Kempf Subdivision should have been more informed once the decision had been made to move forward with the project. She believes that the neighborhood will sacrifice a safe environment for children to play in and the wildlife that is attracted to the trees.

“One thing to think about is always the greater need of the community and the costs and the benefits of that,” said Feldman. “However, I really think that there are some pieces in terms of safety, in terms of traffic flow, that really do need to be considered, that perhaps the planners haven’t really thought through all potential impacts…”