Chickasaw Gardens – Memphis Flyer

A controversial proposal to close Goodwyn Street at Southern Avenue (near the Memphis Country Club) to through traffic gets a hearing at City Council next Tuesday, November 8th.

Residents of the area are sharply divided over the issue, with proponents claiming the move will stop excessive speeding on Goodwyn and reduce crime.

Opponents of the closing say the measure is all about race and class and that the closure is to keep residents of the poorer neighborhood south of Southern from being able to enter the exclusive Chickasaw Gardens area.

Last May, a highly publicized rape occurred on Goodwyn. Since then, some residents have been pushing for more crime control, including closing Goodwyn at Southern.

But Gwen Lausterer, who lives in condos at Southern and Goodwyn, questions how the proposal will affect traffic on Haynes, Greer, and other side streets that run between Central and Southern, especially those that don’t have a traffic light (as Goodwyn does) to control traffic.

Activists on both sides of the issue are gearing up to attend a hearing set for next Tuesday, November 8th at 10 a.m.

For more information about the street closing and the hearing, contact city planner, Carlos McCloud, at 576-6619 or carlos.mccloud@memphistn.gov.

Last May, a highly publicized rape occurred on Goodwyn Street in Chickasaw Gardens. Since then, area residents have been pushing for more crime control, including closing the entrance of Goodwyn at Southern Avenue.

However, others who live in areas adjacent to Chickasaw Gardens are fighting the street closing. Gwen Lausterer, who lives in condos at Southern and Goodwyn, questions how the proposal will affect traffic on Haynes, Greer, and other side streets that run between Central and Southern, especially those that don’t have a traffic light (as Goodwyn does) to control traffic. The intersection is near the entrance to Memphis Country Club.

Activists are urging residents to attend a hearing about the street closing. It’s currently set for November 8th at 10 a.m. Says Lausterer: “I do firmly believe that if we start blocking streets we are not helping the situation on crime. Getting out and meeting our neighbors can help more than blocking ourselves off. Community spirit and knowledge is what will bind us together as a city.”

She doubts claims by Goodwyn residents that drivers speed up to 75 mph on their street. “I drive Goodwyn [several] times a day and have never seen that,” she says. “We have suggested they use speed bumps like most streets in this area.”

For more information about the street closing and the hearing, contact Lausterer at lausterer3@comcast.net or the city planner, Carlos McCloud, at 576-6619 or carlos.mccloud@memphistn.gov.

–Marilyn Sadler