City Council discusses downtown parking

DAVE MOSIER/independent editor

Van Wert City Council discussed downtown parking on Monday during a committee-of-the-whole meeting held prior to the regular Council meeting.

Consultants Nathan Deig and Sydney King of engineering and architectural firm Jones Petrie Rafinski, went through a presentation that outlined some of the aims of the Van Wert Forward downtown development project and the problems that could arise from the city’s current parking requirements, as well as possible solutions to those issues.

Deig talked about the concept of “walkability”, noting the term encompasses the conditions from a parking space to a person’s destination, including distance and the condition of sidewalks in the area.

“The ideal condition is that a patron would only need to walk 600 feet or 2 to 3 minutes to get from parking space to destination, whether that is a business or a restaurant, or whatever that may be,” Deig noted, while adding that business employees or those walking to a large event can be expected to walk a maximum of 1,200 feet or a 6-minute walk.

While Deig said 600 feet seems like a long distance — it’s roughly the distance from the entrance to Walmart to the back of its parking lot — the conditions in a downtown area are much better than those at a big box store or mall parking lot. While vehicles and asphalt primarily confront someone walking from the parking lot into Walmart or other big box store or mall, walking in a downtown area is more interesting, with other stores walkers can “window shop” at on the way to their ultimate destination.

King talked about a study of the city’s parking requirements, versus other cities in Ohio and Indiana all under 50,000 population, and noted existing parking requirements could force demolition of a large number of downtown buildings to meet proposed parking needs.

Deig and King recommended City Council develop a parking ordinance that makes the downtown district exempt from parking requirements and minimums.

Deig stressed that doing so doesn’t mean having no parking spaces downtown; in fact, the master development plan calls for increasing the existing 681 spaces to 990 spaces when development is complete. Giving the downtown a parking exemption, though, would allow for a more versatile and walker-friendly downtown area, while also creating new spaces in more accessible areas where parking does not now exist.

Council members said they wanted to look at the presentation in depth before resuming discussion of the parking issue.

During his report, Mayor Ken Markward noted that tickets are being made available to those wanting to participate in the upcoming citywide Community Clean-Up program. Markward said information on what items can be dropped off at the transfer station during the program will be given to those seeking tickets at the Utility Office in the Municipal Building, while anyone bringing items not on the list would have to pay to have those items taken. 

There are a total of 300 tickets available to city residents after Danfoss (Eaton) Corporation announced it would double the 150 tickets originally earmarked for the event. Those wanting tickets can obtain them at the Utility Office.

Later in the meeting, Council unanimously adopted a resolution allowing the mayor to enter into a contract with Young’s Waste Service for use of its transfer station during September for the Community Clean-up event.

Safety-Service Director Jay Fleming informed Council that the Market Street bridge project was now completed, as was paving of the portion of Market Street north of the bridge. Plans are to also pave a larger portion of Market Street, from Keplar Street to the railroad tracks north of Main Street. That project could begin as soon as a contract is completed, Fleming said.

City Auditor Martha Balyeat asked for several supplemental appropriations to city funds, which were approved by Council later in the meeting.

An ordinance was also approved that would amend the city building code to waive construction fees for Vantage Career Center Carpentry houses built in the city.

Health-Service-Safety Committee Chair Bill Marshall also led a discussion of city indigent burial regulations and what to do about abandoned and/or vacant properties within the city. Neither issue was resolved, although a committee meeting will be scheduled to further discuss the abandoned property issue.

Law Director John Hatcher spoke briefly on a proposal by First Ward Councilman Jeff Agler that would force owners of vacant properties to provide utilities in those properties to better maintain them, noting the proposal didn’t seem to be a viable option, while adding were other options Council could pursue.

Economic Development Director Stacy Adam noted that the purchase of the former Van Wert Inn property has not yet been completed, noting that the Van Wert Area Economic Development Corporation is currently doing its due diligence prior to closing on the property. Adam also talked about the construction of a new 100,000-square-foot spec building by Robinson Investments (see story below).

The next meeting of Van Wert City Council will be held at 6:30 p.m. Monday, September 13, in Council Chambers on the second floor of the Municipal Building, 515 E. Main St.