Three groups have been the chief characters in the Niowave pole barn saga: the Walnut Neighborhood Organization, the company itself and the Lansing City Council. A Council vote tentatively set for March 25 on granting the particle accelerator company a six-year, $550,000 tax break on new equipment holds consequences for all involved.

The relationship between residents of the Walnut Neighborhood and Niowave Inc. is at an "all-time low," one resident told the Lansing City Council on Monday night. The comments came three days after a few neighbors were shown what they've been waiting on for over four months: a plan to improve the appearance of Niowave's 14,000-square-foot pole barn in their neighborhood.