City May Ban Market Street Parking
The Warsaw Traffic Commission on Wednesday will entertain a proposal to do away with on-street parking on Market Street from Wood Street to Argonne Road. The idea is part of the Warsaw+Winona Bike+Walk initiative the city has recently adopted.
The bicycle advisory committee that has been the driving force in getting the Bike+Walk plan approved, is requesting the no parking order along Market Street because the road, with parking, is not wide enough for both motor vehicle traffic and a bike path. According to Warsaw Police Lt. Kip Shuter who also serves as the city’s traffic safety commissioner, the regulation would have a small impact on those who reside along the street.
“I survey count two years ago showed, at the height, there was a maximum of eight cars parked on the street,” said Shuter. He also said every residence along Market Street has off-street parking access whether it be by private drive or via alleyways.
Big changes overall may be in store for Market Street east of the former Little Crow Foods building. Mayor Joe Thallemer announced at the Feb. 19 common council meeting that he is hoping to develop a new comprehensive plan for the city and toward meeting the requirements of a Stellar Community status. Stellar Communites utilize collaborative government partnerships to leverage state and federal funding for large-scale comprehensive community revitalization projects.
Among the projects on the table for 2013 is a charrette (an intensive planning session) with the Ball State University School of Architecture and Planning. The group of students and skilled planners will be studying an area of the Gatke building on McKinley Street to the Little Crow property. A four-day public input session on ideas for those areas will also be held.
The traffic commission will be at 1 p.m. Wednesday in the mayor’s conference room at Warsaw City Hall. If the commission approves the proposal, it would then go to the Warsaw Common Council for final approval.