|
|
|
St. John, Kan. —
City meetings, county meetings, coffee klatches and letter to the editor; much has been said about the parking issue directly in front of the newly remodeled county annex building. There appears to be a very simple solution in the mind of this oh-so-simple news editor.
Take down the sign.
The county currently has 42 off street parking stalls. Ten reside in the new lot south of the courthouse on Broadway Street. Ten more are available behind the new annex building. Another two or three are available along the southeast side of the courthouse adjacent to the alleyway with two more on the south end of the alley under a covered metal shelter.
Across the street, next door to the Witt Center home of the Sunflower Senior Center there are another 19 parking spots.
The issue arose when Chief Moody brought up that the handicap sidewalk accesses should be no parking so handicapped folks can actually access them, and for loading and unloading of wheelchairs. The was also a question of the county’s requirements for providing adequate emergency vehicle access to the front of county buildings.
Unfortunately, what was not taken in to account was that street – and six to eight parking spots that were eliminated during to the annex remodel – have been the parking places of a few seniors that have been paying city and county taxes on those spots long before many of us even had cars to worry about parking.
Before the annex remodel there was a curb cutout that provided approximately six paved parking spots, an additional two unpaved spots were available for those especially hopping senior soup nights or other event at the Witt.
The commissioners decided it would be okay for the seniors to park in the limited access spots during their noon meals, or they could use the “County only” parking next to their building, but was told by somebody at the courthouse it would probably be the back spots, farther from the door.
While the distance to the door might give new meaning to ‘walk for your lunch” to some of the more disable of the center’s guest, it is a partial solution. There are others that visit the Witt, or will want to go to the annex building that are unaware of these “secret parking alliance,” and will circle looking for an open spot in front of the courthouse or businesses along Third Street.
City meetings, county meetings, coffee klatches and letter to the editor; much has been said about the parking issue directly in front of the newly remodeled county annex building. There appears to be a very simple solution in the mind of this oh-so-simple news editor.
Take down the sign.
The county currently has 42 off street parking stalls. Ten reside in the new lot south of the courthouse on Broadway Street. Ten more are available behind the new annex building. Another two or three are available along the southeast side of the courthouse adjacent to the alleyway with two more on the south end of the alley under a covered metal shelter.
Across the street, next door to the Witt Center home of the Sunflower Senior Center there are another 19 parking spots.
The issue arose when Chief Moody brought up that the handicap sidewalk accesses should be no parking so handicapped folks can actually access them, and for loading and unloading of wheelchairs. The was also a question of the county’s requirements for providing adequate emergency vehicle access to the front of county buildings.
Unfortunately, what was not taken in to account was that street – and six to eight parking spots that were eliminated during to the annex remodel – have been the parking places of a few seniors that have been paying city and county taxes on those spots long before many of us even had cars to worry about parking.
Before the annex remodel there was a curb cutout that provided approximately six paved parking spots, an additional two unpaved spots were available for those especially hopping senior soup nights or other event at the Witt.
The commissioners decided it would be okay for the seniors to park in the limited access spots during their noon meals, or they could use the “County only” parking next to their building, but was told by somebody at the courthouse it would probably be the back spots, farther from the door.
While the distance to the door might give new meaning to ‘walk for your lunch” to some of the more disable of the center’s guest, it is a partial solution. There are others that visit the Witt, or will want to go to the annex building that are unaware of these “secret parking alliance,” and will circle looking for an open spot in front of the courthouse or businesses along Third Street.
At Tuesday’s city council meeting some discussion was spent on creating more parallel parking on the east side of the Witt Center, along Monroe Street. That would be a nice fix for users of the Witt. Might cost a few bucks to get it done, but a fix nonetheless.
This morning, around 10 a.m., I drove around the streets and parking areas surrounding the courthouse.
The 19-stall “county only” parking lot next door to the Witt Center had four cars parked in it leaving 15 unused stalls. The lot on the south had 6 leaving 4. The lot behind the annex had 2 leaving 8 empty.
If the county needs a county employee only parking lot, they have two on the south side of the buildings. Restrict those and open the lot next to the Witt Center up to the seniors and the rest of the parking public, and the county employees as needed.
While secret agreements, and additional news parking slots are workable the simplest solution requires only a crescent wrench.
Take down the sign.
