Locals Say Romney Visit Was a Boost for Farmington Area

Local business leaders said yesterday that Republican presidential candidate Gov. Mitt Romney's campaign stop at was a boost for the community. 

Mary Engelman, director of the  (GFAC), said the event elevated Farmington Hills to a national audience, along with providing a glimpse of the city to the more than 500 people who attended. The GFAC and Livonia chambers of commerce co-hosted the event. 

"I think it brings a lot of awareness," she said. "It's so exciting for our Chamber and our community to be on that front page."

"With so many people ... bringing them into the community and showing off our best face has been a fantastic experience," Farmington Downtown Development Authority (DDA) director Annette Knowles said. 

National media, including reporters from CNN and the Wall Street Journal, among others, covered the event, along with metro Detroit print and electronic media. Farmington-Farmington Hills Patch readers reported seeing news trucks swarming the area by around 9 a.m. Thursday. 

One resident said parking became a problem in the area around Farmington Hills Manor. Kristen O'Dea commented on a Farmington-Farmington Hills Patch Facebook post that she was "disappointed that the police are not enforcing no parking signs in the neighborhood". She said while the Farmington Hills Manor parking lot was not full, side streets around the business were.