West section of Anderson St. to become 2-way, no-parking

Friday, October 12, 2012

Anderson Street in Greencastle has grabbed its share of attention for all the construction work under way this summer and fall. Now the city's interest had turned to its status on paper.

While the western portion of Anderson Street has been undergoing massive physical changes the past couple of months, it is also due to see a major shift in its designation within the city's traffic and parking regulations ordinance.

Anderson -- from Bloomington Street west to Locust Street -- is being turned into the new main entrance to the DePauw University campus. The work is expected to be finished prior to Thanksgiving, Greencastle Mayor Sue Murray told the City Council this week.

As part of that project, the western section of Anderson Street -- which had been one-way eastbound -- will become a two-way street to facilitate its use as a campus gateway off U.S. 231.

Under Ordinance 2012-11, which was passed on first reading by the Council Tuesday night, parking will no longer be permitted on the western portion of Anderson Street.

Meanwhile, the eastern portion of Anderson, from Bloomington Street to Wood Street, will continue as one-way eastbound with parking allowed only on the south side of the roadway.

While the official changes to Anderson Street's status in the ordinance were easily the most prominent paperwork move, parking along several other streets also has been altered.

Most of the no-parking changes are "clean-up issues," Mayor Murray said.

For example, the proposed ordinance delineates that no parking is allowed along either side of the entire length of Percy Julian Drive from Indianapolis Road to Veterans Memorial Highway. While that has always been the accepted practice, it was not stated as such in the city ordinance until now.

The same is true of much of Shadowlawn Avenue, particularly the old section of the well-traveled east-west street.

No parking is allowed on either the north or south side of Shadowlawn between Jackson and Arlington streets. However, parking is permissible along the north side of the Shadowlawn between Arlington and Dogwood Lane (from the Armory east to the west edge of the Deer Field Estates subdivision).

Councilman Mark Hammer, noting that Shadowlawn is considered a vital collector street, said the no-parking designation is certainly logical. Vehicles that occasionally park illegally -- or at least ill-advisedly -- along Shadowlawn tend to make driving there "dangerous" and "slows down traffic," Hammer said.

Other no-parking zones being specified in the revised ordinance are:

-- North Arlington Street (east and south sides) from in front of the house at 512 N. Arlington St. to Vale Street.

-- Hillsdale Avenue, on the east/north sides of the street, from Shadowlawn to Northwood Boulevard.

-- Hillcrest Drive, on the north side of the street, encompassing the space in front of properties from 1005-1009 Hillcrest.

-- Columbia Street, along the north side from Gillespie (previously only from Market) to Vine Street.

The ordinance includes one additional proposed change in the parking space that had been reserved at all times for the Putnam County Red Cross vehicle.

That reserved space had been designated on the west side of Indiana Street, immediately south of the reserved handicapped spots between Franklin and Washington street on the east side of the courthouse.

With the Red Cross no longer owning a vehicle locally, that spot is being re-designated as reserved for Veterans Affairs Office vehicles.

After a motion by Councilman Hammer, the traffic and parking regulations ordinance was passed unanimously on first reading. Councilman Adam Cohen abstained due to the fraternity house he advises being located in the affected area along Anderson Street.

Second and final reading for adoption of the revised ordinance is scheduled for the November City Council meeting (7 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 13 at City Hall).

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