Once again last week the Warren City Council heard arguments from city residents who want the city to step in and stop a senior housing development downtown.

This time, those with concerns asked the council to commission an independent study on the proposed senior housing project proposed by Hudson Companies that would result in two buildings with 40 units on Liberty Street and Pennsylvania Avenue.

Developers say all of their permits and funding applications are tied to the site. Attempting to move it now would result in going back to the starting blocks with no guarantee that prior approvals can move to a new site. A majority of the City Council agreed with the developers, defeating the motion for an independent study just as the council has defeated past attempts trying to force the city to distance itself from the housing development.

It was the right move, in our opinion.

We can’t say a senior housing project is the best use for the site. We can’t say the project is necessary. We can say the city pulling its support would send a bad message to other developers with whom the city may want to work in the future. The last thing Warren wants to be known for is a City Council that can’t stick to a tough decision. Warren certainly doesn’t want the reputation in development circles as a group that can’t deliver on the promises it makes. And Warren really doesn’t want to be labeled as a city that reneges on permit approvals in the face of opposition once a decision has been made.

If the Hudson Companies’ project is to come to a premature end, that end should be part of a court case. Only at that point do the allegations of wrongdoing and improper process become fact. And while Warren will still have egg on its face, at least the egg is shared by the city and the developers.