When Eric and Pamela Schoen want to relax, they head to their backyard.
Filled with blooming peonies, winding stone paths, a hot tub and fish pond, the Schoens said they've spent at least $4,000 transforming the area into a "secret garden."
"We have been doing it year after year, since 1993," Schoen said. "There's a lot of love and labor we put in here."
As plans to redevelop the 600 block of Virginia Avenue are reviewed by the East Lansing City Council tonight, the Schoens fear their subtle retreat, nestled along the avenue, could be demolished by next spring.
"It's been very upsetting to us to be told they are going to demolish the whole block," said Pamela, who works with alumni relations in the College of Nursing. "It's been going on for two years. I can understand why (the city is) doing it, but when it happens to you, it becomes more emotional."
The Virginia Avenue project calls for the creation of 39 new homes and condominiums along the 600 block, so families — especially those with children — can move into the area, which is near three schools, according to city officials.
"We are trying to strike a balance for the housing policy," City Manager Ted Staton said. "The idea is to meet the demand of multiple demographic groups.
"Obviously you can't dictate who buys them. It's going to be a mixture of people."
Tonight, the City Council could choose a company to assist in the acquisition of the area's 23 homes.
"We had agreed that we would hire a consultant to help with our acquisition and relocation process," said Stephanie Gingerich, a community development analyst for the city. "We don't have the internal staff to deal with it."
Market Street Realty is being recommended to carry out this process.
The firm's experience with similar projects is what the city's staff was looking for, Gingerich said.
Valerie Lafferty, broker and real estate agent for Market Street, will meet with the city on Wednesday to discuss specifics of the project.
"We think we can be very responsive to the public and be helpful to the city," Lafferty said. "This is a case where they are trying to provide affordable housing."
Still, disrupting the lives of the residents and property owners on Virginia Avenue isn't right, Pamela Schoen said. The city's proposed development doesn't match some of the existing homes.
"This house isn't going to fit in next to what they want to build," she said. "We love the students — we enjoy them. That's why we have stayed here for all these years. This is putting us out of our home.
"We could say we are going to move over three streets, but how do you want to stay in a city that moves people out of their homes?"
Although she and her husband will sell their home, Pamela said they aren't happy about leaving their backyard haven.
"I counted up, and now I have over 200 hosta plants," she said. "What's going to happen to my hosta plants? We've also got a fish pond back there — we've got probably 50 fish. How do I move my fish?"
And Pamela said she believes this project is an attempt to push students farther from the neighborhoods of East Lansing.
"Michigan State sits in East Lansing — 45,000 students go there — the university is East Lansing," Pamela said. "The main business in East Lansing is the university. Some of the students are being forced to the north.
"It's displacing students and getting them out of the neighborhoods."
Kris Turner can be reached at turne112@msu.edu.
