A planned road realignment in Gilbert’s Heritage District has stirred concern among American Legion Post 39 members, who say the project could eliminate most of their accessible parking, disrupt their fundraisers, and ultimately force the historic nonprofit out of downtown.

Post 39, established in 1950, sits just steps from the Union Pacific tracks and adjacent to Gilbert’s small Mural Pocket Park. That park — and the public parking surrounding it — is where the Town of Gilbert now proposes to extend Ash Street, connecting it through to Cullumber Avenue and adding a traffic signal at Gilbert Road.

But Post Commander Frank Banaszewski said, “We're not going to survive because of this road. It’s going to take out where I do all my fundraisers and parking.”

Banaszewski said the Legion curr

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