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Downtown business owner addresses construction issues
Tongue firmly planted in cheek, a downtown business owner took time to address the Greencastle City Council on a topic that appears to rear its ugly head anytime two or more people start a conversation locally these days.
“You may have noticed,” owner of The Whisk Joel Everson said in addressing the Council from the podium at City Hall, “there’s some construction work going on downtown.”
Obviously he was speaking calmly and cleverly about the ongoing INDOT project involving the reconstruction of U.S. 231 through town, which has affected traffic, blood pressures and more in recent days and will likely continue to do so until late fall.
“The reality is,” Everson said, his mood changing over to serious, “it’s a tough situation for business owners.”
With The Whisk being more of a destination than an impulse stop for most customers, Everson feels “incredibly lucky,” noting “people are still coming” as his business has continued to thrive as loyal customers navigate the detours to find parking nearby and visit the 18 S. Jackson St. venue.
While saying he has talked to a number businesses owners concerned about their livelihoods during the project, Everson pointed to a “local institution,” the Putnam Inn on North Jackson Street.
“They’re being impacted now and they’re going to be hit again in the next phase,” Everson noted. “They’re an institution. We need to make sure they stay here.”
Where the major frustration lies in all of this, he said, has been “lack of communication.”
“Nobody’s mad at city government because of the construction,” Everson stressed. “We know it’s not your responsibility. But let’s take care of one another.”
Noting that he and wife Tosh have had meetings with Mayor Lynda Dunbar and INDOT project officials, Everson said he “walked out mid-day on Friday (April 25) to find both ends of the street closed to traffic” in what promises to be a 40-day arrangement in front of his bourbon bar/restaurant.
Once he calmed down and resumed breathing, Everson said he decided “why not turn something negative into something positive?”
He suggested using the street to throw a block party with tables in the closed roadway and staging a fundraiser for other local businesses impacted by the construction project, much as was done during Covid in 2020. Joel and Tosh, who perform as the duo Him & Her and in the group War Radio, have volunteered to perform.
To pull that off, he asked the Council to consider closing the street to all traffic and construction vehicles on evenings or weekends, particularly Friday night and Saturday afternoon.
Councilman David Masten, in whose ward the downtown resides, made the motion to allow the closing once Everson gets dates and times and contacts City Hall with that information. The motion received unanimous approval.
Later in the meeting, the construction project boiled to the top again as Councilman Mark Hammer pointed out that the stoplight at Bloomington and Washington streets “never changes” and he’s seen traffic backed up to Seminary Street.
Councilman Masten quickly chimed in that he has seen it backed up clear to Hanna Street as drivers sit at the light until frustratingly turning left on red.
It was also pointed out that the pavement on Bloomington Street between Walnut and Washington streets is in terrible shape. INDOT came in and did a patch job once before and needs to do it again, councilmen added.
A woman in audience noted that one of the streets she travels was patched and “a month later it was worse.”
The construction project also brought out the topic of semis going through town where they are not supposed to travel.
“It’s getting better as the word is getting out,” Police Chief Chris Jones told the Council, adding that GPS features that fail to include the local detour and language barriers have contributed to some of the issues.
Jones was asked if City Police are ticketing offending truckers.
“We’ve stopped a few,” he said. “We can’t stop them all.”
Councilman Masten, who reported noticing “a lot of tri-axles that have nothing to do with the project,” urged Chief Jones that if officers see semis on Franklin or Market streets, “pull ’em over.”
If the issue is police manpower, Councilman Aguirre suggested that it might be better to pay some overtime or partner with other agencies rather than endure all the damage to local streets that is occurring because of excessive truck traffic.
“In fairness to truck drivers,” Everson said from the audience, “none of the Google maps show the closures. The city needs to work with INDOT to take care of that. I hope we can catch ’em before it becomes Chris’ (Jones’) problem or somebody else’s.”
In other business, the Council:
• Passed on first reading Ordinance 2024-3, amending the zoning map to make the 4.08-acre old Jones School site GB1 (general business) instead of the current SD2 (single-family dwelling) in order for Putnam County to construct a courthouse annex on the property.
County Planning Director Lisa Zeiner indicated that rezoning will provide a buffer between commercial and residential property, the same as the school provided.
Commissioner Rick Woodall said no decision has been made on where on the site the building will be located. “The Park Department has already hit us up” on using some of the property, Woodall added, while noting, “that if all this goes through, the parking meter lady uptown won’t be as busy.”
The plan is for county offices other than the courts, clerk’s office, prosecutor and probation to move into the annex, along with the Extension Office and Title IV-D.
Traffic in the area “is going to be less than when it was when it was a school,” Councilman Masten noted.
“We have zero issues in sitting down with neighbors about their concerns,” Woodall said.
• Unanimously approved a motion for the Redevelopment Commission to capture 100 percent of the assessed value in the TIF (tax-increment financing) district as has been done in recent years.
• Heard Clerk-Treasurer Mikayla Johnson report that the city issued its 41st UTV permit Thursday with GPD doing a number of inspections. The signage showing UTVs are allowed on city streets have been installed.
• Heard that the annual city sidewalk work will be starting soon for the summer and that the project on Shadowlawn Avenue and College Avenue should be completed this week or next.
• Heard Park Director Greg Ruark report that thus far 10 youngsters have signed up for the annual fishing derby, set June 1 at Jaycee Park. His department has been getting several calls from businesses wishing to donate prizes for the event.
• Approved the closing of Indiana Street between Washington and Walnut streets for a Juneteenth celebration organized by the DePauw Office of Diversity and Inclusion June 22. The 5-9 p.m. event is slated rain or shine and will not include any alcohol.
Councilmen Hammer, Masten and Aguirre were joined by Katherine Asbell, Tina Nicholson, Darrel Thomas and Stacie Langdon, who chaired the nearly two-hour meeting in Mayor Dunbar’s absence.
The next regular session of the City Council is set for 7 p.m. Thursday, June 13 at City Hall.