The plan to redevelop University Village into upscale undergraduate apartments hit another road bump when members of a nearby neighborhood voiced concern about traffic in the area.

Members of the Red Cedar Community Association met with city and university officials on Feb. 16 to complain that there are no planned changes to Marigold Avenue, which passes through the complex into their neighborhood.

Community members do not see a need for the roadway now that the buildings in that part of University Village are set to be demolished and the area converted into green space, said Cynthia Craig, president of the community association. Traffic from the complex poses an unnecessary risk to young children, Craig said.

"It took a bit of doing to get ourselves listened to," she said. "We had to get a little loud and unpleasant."

The new complex will include five two-story buildings and three three-story buildings, and be home to slightly more than 300 undergraduate students. Graduate and international students and their families compose the majority of University Village's residents.

The development will sit on about one-third of the space currently occupied by buildings, leaving the rest of the space available for recreation areas shared by students and neighboring residents.

Jean Golden, East Lansing's deputy city manager, brought the residents' concerns to the East Lansing City Council during its Tuesday evening work session.

"We want to find a way to mitigate the traffic problem while leaving access to emergency vehicles," Golden said before the meeting. "There have been a number of proposals and we're hopeful of a compromise."

During her presentation, Golden said the compromise was a work in progress.

She said the university is still considering the option of closing off the road except in emergency situations, a plan supported by the city's police and fire chiefs.

The City Council got involved because of the residents' concern, Golden said after the meeting. Although the road goes through university property, it belongs to the city, she said.

University officials updated the MSU Board of Trustees on the redevelopment plans at its Feb. 10 meeting.

Chuck Gagliano, assistant vice president for Housing & Food Services, said the plans haven't changed but the road will be evaluated on whether it meets the needs of both the student and permanent resident population.

"There are some safety and security concerns," Gagliano said. "Right now, it provides a second way out for residents should there be a calamity of some sort. It also provides a second way in for emergency personnel should they be needed."

He said a decision about the roadway would be premature while the city, university and neighborhood residents are still discussing the issue.

Craig said the decision should be simple.

"As the plan has been put together, there is really no need for this road," Craig said.

She said, with the help of the city, a new plan might be implemented to convert the stretch of road into a bike path that can still serve as a second entrance or exit in an emergency situation.

Craig said the neighborhood was not anti-student, just anti-traffic.

"We are very student-friendly," Craig said. "We chose this neighborhood for a reason."

Josh Jarman can be reached at jarmanjo@msu.edu.