Camino Villa Residents Ready To Fight Back

Some Broken Arrow residents are fighting to save their homes.  The city's development authority is considering putting a road where a mobile park sits now.

Camino Villas Mobile Park is home to hundreds of people, and they say they're going to do everything they can to keep the city from driving them out.

Armed with signs and a battle cry, dozens of Broken Arrow residents descend on Broken Arrow's City Hall.

"I would just like them to recognize that we are people and we are us citizens and we do have rights and we want to be left alone," said Camino Villa resident Melanie Walbaum.

Melanie Walbaum's piece of the American dream is turning into a nightmare.  The City of Broken Arrow has declared the Camino Villa Mobile Park blighted because of crime and code violations.  And now, the city wants to build a road where the 400 home park has stood for 40 years.

The city says the road could provide easier access to nearby shopping developments and ease congestion.

"Why should I have to leave so somebody else can make a profit?" said resident James Shelton.

"My home means everything and, if I lose it, I don't know what I'll do like a lot of these people who won't," said resident Melanie Walbaum.

 In a meeting on Wednesday, the Broken Arrow Development Authority laid out its plan.  The authority is also considering hiring a consultant to study the issue further.

"This is not a matter of the city coming in and just putting residents out flat on the street.  We can't do that and we wouldn't do that.  There's a proper process that needs to play out," said Keith Sterling with the City of Broken Arrow.

The city says it will continue to have an open, fair process and if it decides to build the road, the residents will be compensated, but some just have their doubts.

"It's going to displace a lot of people that live on very fixed incomes.  And, they thought they were going to be able to retire.  That's going to be of equal value," said Grace Weber with the Camino Villa Homeowners Association.

Related Story:

08/13/2008  Mobile Home Park Declared Blighted