Two Adopt-A-Road signs put up about a week ago in West Bloomfield Township were taken down Sunday, June 14, after sparking political controversy and safety concerns.
The Road Commission for Oakland County (RCOC) removed the signs that were located on Orchard Lake Road between Walnut Lake Road and Maple Road, and which said, “Next Mile ‘Voices for Palestinians.’”
“This language has caused some concerns among some people, and so we took the signs down in the interest of safety,” RCOC Senior Communications Manager Craig Bryson said.
Adopt-A-Road is a program in which individuals or organizations volunteer to clean trash from a designated section of road at least twice a year. In exchange for their efforts, the county will put up a sign, often recognizing an individual or group, but it can have any language submitted by the applicant as long as it is not obscene.
The signs were located about 2 miles from Temple Israel, which is rebuilding after a man drove his truck into the synagogue in a March 12 attack that left the suspect dead, injured a security guard, and set the building on fire.
In a June 15 Facebook post, West Bloomfield Township officials said they had been made aware of the adopt-a-road signs over the weekend, which were in a “highly sensitive location” and had caused “significant concern and emotional reactions” within the community, home to one of the state’s largest Jewish populations.
“Our nation and community are built upon fundamental constitutional protections, including freedom of speech and expression, but also common sense,” officials continued in the post. “Should the Adopt-A-Road program be politicized? Should such a statement be placed in that location? Respecting rights and respecting community involves understanding and sensitivity toward our neighbors, and is a responsibility shared by all of us.”
West Bloomfield Township Supervisor Jonathan Warshay and Clerk Debbie Binder could not be immediately reached for comment.
Oakland County Executive Dave Coulter said in a June 14 Facebook post that the placement of the “Voices for Palestinians” Adopt-A-Road signs near the synagogue was “deeply troubling and understandably painful for many of our Jewish neighbors.” He added that it appeared to disregard the impact it would have and risks being perceived as an act of provocation.
Bryson said Shahaboddin Owlia, the West Bloomfield Township resident who volunteered to adopt the 1-mile stretch of Orchard Lake Road, had applied to clean trash from the roadway back in September, months before the attack on the synagogue. The Road Commission approved the request in November.
Owlia said by phone on Monday that the attack on Temple Israel was “really disturbing,” and close to where he lives, but the adopting of Orchard Lake Road by the “Voices for Palestinians” group, comprised of himself and about six other individuals, was unrelated.
Instead, he said he was inspired to give the “other side” after a display honoring hostages was put up in the community in the wake of the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas-led attack on Israel. While he supported the display and said hostages should never be taken by anyone, from anywhere, Owlia said: “With the genocide in Gaza, I wanted to make sure that Palestinians have a voice. That is where the Adopt-A-[Road] came in and we also wanted to do civic service.”
He and members of the group cleaned trash from Orchard Lake Road in April during the spring cleanup period. Volunteers in the program must commit to cleaning their designated section of road at least twice a year. Other cleanups take place in July and September.
Bryson said the Adopt-A-Road program has been in place for about four decades, and currently, 388 organizations or individuals have adopted 602 miles of the 2,700 miles of Oakland County roads under the RCOC jurisdiction.
This is the first time in Bryson’s memory that language on an Adopt-A-Road sign has been seen as controversial, and he said the RCOC will review the situation to decide what to do with the signs, including looking at it from a legal perspective that takes into account the First Amendment and safety concerns.
“Clearly this has the potential to be political,” Bryson said. “The challenging part is that it is a matter of perception and opinion. … The bottom line for us is that this is a wonderful program that has been tremendous for the county and we want to see it maintained as such. We don’t want it to be a thing that creates feelings of fear, anxiety and animosity and distracts from the good the program does.”
(This story was updated to add additional information.)
Contact reporter Susan Bromley at sbromley@hometownlife.com
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Adopt-A-Road signs become political hot potato in West Bloomfield
Reporting by Susan Bromley, Hometownlife.com / Detroit Free Press
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By Susan Bromley, Hometownlife.com | USA TODAY Network
