More than 250 red and white "No Mall on Paul" placards like this one are scattered throughout town
MICHELE CHILD Chili blogger

'No Mall on Paul' signs dot Chili lawns

(April 24, 2006) — CHILI — What began as a meeting of 30 concerned Chili residents a few weeks ago has turned into an aggressive visual movement against rezoning their neighborhood.

More than 250 red and white "No Mall on Paul" placards are scattered throughout town. They are a sign of resistance to North American Properties' proposed 345,000-square-foot shopping complex on Paul Road, which would include two unnamed big-box stores.

Town residents are against rezoning the planned neighborhood and residential area to general business. They cite concerns about heavy traffic on two-lane Paul Road and flooding that could occur from Little Beaver Creek with new businesses moving in. Now Robert Mulcahy, who helped start the movement, can't pass out the lawn signs fast enough.

"People are asking for them quicker than I can get them," said Mulcahy, 75, of 28 Westway Court.

The idea to create signs came from an informal gathering of residents who wanted a way to express their dissatisfaction with the project. Residents used $600 in donations to buy the first 250 signs. More money is coming in for another 250.

"We're not trying to be radicals. It's just that the project builders want to do too much too fast," said Mulcahy.

North American Properties officials held a public forum to discuss the project with residents in March and gave a presentation to the Town Board in April.

The Chili Planning Board tabled North American Properties' request to rezone until the master plan update committee finishes its work in the next two months. North American Properties is now working with the Army Corps of Engineers to mitigate effects on the site's seven acres of wetlands.

Steven Metivier, a biologist, said the corps will review the statements made by residents and forward the comments to North American Properties for a reponse.

After that, the corps will make its recommendations.

Carol Confer, 74, has a smaller version of the sign inside her Buick's back window, along with the large lawn signs.

She said nothing but bad can come from a large shopping complex moving in.

"The crime rate is going to be higher in a strip mall than an empty cornfield now," said Confer, who has lived at 10 Westway Court since 1967. "It's just the wrong place and the wrong kind of development to have in this area."

Ernst Lamothe Jr.
Staff writer