UNIVERSITY CITY, Mo. – Residents in a University City subdivision are up in arms over a construction project next door. They say too many large construction vehicles are going in and out of their subdivision along Delmar and Kingdel, making life difficult for them.

Resident Jani Bunn says she almost ran into one of the trucks.

“My concern is the safety of my family,” she said. “We have been living through this construction site when I am coming out of the neighborhood with my children in the car.”

University City had passed an ordinance to regulate activities on the construction sites as they related to the construction project. The ordinance was supposed to limit traffic.

Bunn says she’s had close calls.

“I’m having to stop for construction traffic. Frequently, the drivers of construction vehicles, whether it’s concrete trucks or 18-wheelers—pallets coming in and out—don’t notice you, don’t stop for you,” she said. “Within the last three or four weeks, I was leaving the subdivision with my children in my car; I’m going very slow and get to the entrance and a concrete truck pulls out in front of me to where I slam on the brakes. The driver never looked. He didn’t notice us.”

City Manager Gregory Rose believes the city needs to maintain a balance to mitigate a developer’s impact on the community. Rose believes residents have a point with their concerns.

“I think that we certainly recognize the frustration that many of our residents had with development and the use of Kingdel for construction traffic,” he said. “I believe that we needed to provide clarity regarding the use of Kingdel, and we believe that we’ve done that!”

University City leadership has amended the original construction ordinance to provide for more safeguards. Some of the new requirements include building a new gate for construction vehicles to come and go at the site. Also, vehicles 53 feet or larger won’t be able to carry large construction materials onto the subdivision streets past Nov. 30.

Penalties for breaking these rules could mean a stop-work order. The developer will also be required to repair any damage to the street after construction traffic has ceased.

“Certainly, I believe that there wasn’t clarity regarding the use of Kindel,” Rose said. “I believe that in the amended permit that we’ve provided that clarification.”