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Meeting set on next part of U.S. 231 project
The first total eclipse over Indiana in many moons is now less than a month away, which means the resumption of the U.S. 231 reconstruction project can’t be far behind.
And, despite what the signs that the Indiana Department of Transportation (INDOT) has placed along Washington Street state, that could be as soon as April 9, the day after the eclipse fades into memories.
To help prepare for the extensive project along U.S. 231, from Bloomington Street into the downtown and north on Jackson Street to Frazier Street, a public meeting on the major undertaking has been scheduled for 5:30 p.m. Thursday, March 28 at City Hall, Greencastle Mayor Lynda Dunbar announced.
In the meantime, the mayor is scheduled to join INDOT officials in driving the route and going over specifics of the project, including detours and access to businesses.
“Hopefully we can really come up with a good plan to help people get around better,” Dunbar told the City Council at its March meeting.
One things that has already been set in motion is temporarily converting some one-way streets into two-way thoroughfares and temporarily restricting parking along some streets that are expected to see major increases in traffic with Washington Street closed for the project. Ordinance 2024-2 was passed unanimously on first reading to affect those changes.
“As you all know,” Mayor Dunbar said in introducing the ordinance, “we’re going to be having a lot of construction. With this (ordinance) we’re making a few temporary changes to help people get around.”
The ordinance removes Walnut (Vine to Locust), Poplar (Jackson to Locust) and Anderson (Bloomington to Arlington) streets from the list of one-way designations, effectively allowing two-way traffic in those locations during the construction process.
Meanwhile, Franklin Street (from Indianapolis Road to Spring Street) and Poplar Street (Jackson to Locust) will be added to the list of no-parking zones to better facilitate travel during the U.S. 231 detour.
It’s a safety issue, City Attorney Laurie Hardwick said.
Mayor Dunbar concurred.
“We’re trying to do everything possible for helping people to get to the downtown,” she reasoned. “When it’s all said and done, I think some other streets downtown may need some changes too ... temporary changes.”
Later, she added, “Hopefully by July 5, Washington Street will be back open and Jackson Street will be closed.”
Council members questioned removal of the parking spaces between Vine and Locust on Walnut Street, noting that the downtown was already losing the spaces along Washington Street during construction and that six more spaces lost could put a crimp in parking around town.
Councilman David Masten noted that with second and final reading of the ordinance not due until the April 11 meeting, in the interim councilors could observe the parking and traffic flow there to make a more informed decision.
Another parking issue arose at the outset of the meeting as resident Anita McEnulty addressed the Council on behalf of the Putnam County Senior Center on the north side of the square, noting that 40-60 people per day frequent the Center and upward of 100 on days a luncheon meal is served each month at 9 W. Franklin St. The Senior Center is open 7 a.m. to 3 p.m.
“So much is going on on that side of the street,” McEnulty said, noting the presence of two restaurants along with law and other offices.
McEnulty explained that it is very difficult for most seniors to park in the parking lot on North Indiana Street and navigate the hill up to the square. Consequently they park in the two-hour zone and are subjected to parking tickets since most of the programs and lunches last a couple hours and the seniors routinely arrive about a half-hour early and often stay to socialize or play cards.
“I know it’s a bad parking situation,” she noted, “but it’s impossible for a lot of seniors to come up that hill.”
Asking that the mayor and Council “help us out until everybody decides on the parking situation,” McEnulty suggested placards or stickers, identifying Senior Center attendees in lieu of something like “Senior Center-only” parking signs.
“We don’t need handicapped parking, we’re not asking for that,” she added, suggesting any tickets incurred by seniors possibly be voided.
No action was taken. Instead, Mayor Dunbar suggested that she and City Attorney Hardwick meet with Senior Center Director Malinda Mann to research and discuss the problem further “and bring something back to affect a change.”
Hardwick advised that the recent parking study, which suggests a need for more than 500 additional spaces within a seven-block square, is still in draft form.
Findings of the study note that 1,357 parking spaces currently exist in the downtown area, consisting of 468 city-owned spots and 889 privately owned spaces for public use. The study notes that “if every business required their own parking spaces to accommodate their peak parking period, the city would require a total of 2,460 parking spaces.”
Hardwick also noted that plans are in motion to add “several more handicapped spots downtown in the near future.”
“It’s an issue we’re very much aware of,” she told McEnulty.
In other business, the City Council:
• Adopted on second reading Ordinance 2024-1, a Board of Works recommendation to increase septage rates at the wastewater treatment plant by three cents a gallon to 10 cents. Septage is the effluent pumped out of septic systems or port-a-lets and then disposed of at dump stations. The city has not imposed a septage rate increase since 2010.
• Assigned department liaisons as follows: Cemetery, Tina Nicholson; Fire, Vince Aguirre; Police, Katherine Asbell; Parks, Stacie Langdon; Planning, Masten; Public Works, Darrel Thomas; and Utilities, Mark Hammer.
• Heard Council President Langdon remind the group that its Greencastle School Board appointment awaits in June, asking that it be a part of the April agenda. Brian Cox is the incumbent representative.
• Appointed Chris Hebb of Castle Makers to fill a vacancy on the Board of Zoning Appeals, caused by the resignation of Jon Clark, who has moved outside city limits and can no longer serve. With Hebb’s appointment, the BZA is back at full strength.
• Heard Aguirre report that the Greencastle Tree Board will be revived with its first meeting on Wednesday, April 3.
• Approved requisite May-October street closures for First Friday (including a third stage at Vine and Franklin), Second Saturdays (excluding June when the CARR 5K will be celebrating on South Indiana Street and DePauw Alumni Weekend crowds are also expected) and the Farmers Market on Saturday mornings 7 a.m. to 1 p.m.
• Approved a Saturday, May 18 closure of Madison Street (Washington to Franklin) for a Moose Lodge car show and barbecue from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
• Approved street closures for DePauw Little 5 bike race events, including April 17 time trials (4-7 p.m. on North Calbert Way), April 19 sprints (4-7 p.m. on Anderson Street, Bloomington to Locust) and the April 20 criterium (9 a.m.-4 p.m. using East Hanna, East Olive, South Indiana and South Locust streets).
• Authorized Enchanted Arc, represented by Janice White, for Halloween dancers to perform on the north side of the square (street closed 4-7 p.m. with the event at 5:30) on Oct. 31.
Councilors Langdon, Asbell, Masten, Hammer, Thomas, Nicholson and Aguirre were joined for the 90-minute March meeting by Mayor Dunbar, City Clerk-Treasurer Mikayla Johnson and City Attorney Hardwick.
The next regularly scheduled meeting of the City Council is set for 7 p.m. Thursday, April 11 at City Hall.