Some small business owners in Pontiac are upset with a Dream Cruise road block that will impact their bottom line on Friday.
"This is my living, this is what I work very hard for, to open up this establishment," said Will Ellis, owner of Bloomfield Auto Repair.
Ellis said a decision by the city of Pontiac will prevent customers from getting to his business on Friday, the busiest day of the week for him.
"A lot of people I repair cars for, they live check to check," said Ellis. "They bring they cars here early in the week knowing they're going to pick them up Friday, once they get their pay, and I'm not going to be able to do that."
Woodward Avenue is being shut down to traffic north of South Boulevard all day Friday.
A special event for Dodge, Roadkill Nights, will include drag racing on Woodward. Barricades are already in place on the side of the road and bleachers have been erected for spectators on the grounds of the brand new M-1 Concourse facility.
Ellis is upset because no one told him his business would be impacted by the event until today.
Pontiac's deputy mayor, Jane Bias-Disessa, personally dropped off a letter and a map showing the planned road closure. According to Ellis, the map showed that barricades for the event will actually extend down past the front of his business.
"They say that I can stay open but what's the point of me being open if I can't get tow trucks in or I can't get my customers cars in or out of here," Ellis asked. "I feel like I've been strong armed or something. I hate to use harsh language like that but it's how I feel. I'm just frustrated."
Attempts by 7 Action News to reach Pontiac officials for comment Tuesday night were unsuccessful.
