Senior parking in Janesville stands pat
Other business
The Janesville City Council on Monday:
-- Approved a scaled-back sidewalk program in deference to the economy. Sidewalks to be assessed and installed are those that will close gaps created by sidewalks that will be built and that are already paid for. Still, some speakers asked that council members delay installing the sidewalks because of the economy.
Kathy Mathews, 1143 Alpine Drive, asked: "Are sidewalks a need? Absolutely. Are sidewalks a necessity at this time? Absolutely not." She said it is unreasonable to ask residents to pay for installing sidewalks during a recession. The issue should be postponed to another time when the economy is looking brighter, she said.
Council member Russ Steeber gave a history of the sidewalk problems in the city that started when one subdivision in the 1950s or 60s asked for and received an exception for sidewalks.
"Unfortunately, this council is charged with a task they should never have been charged with," Steeber said. "What unfortunately happens is, when these situations come up, there are no winners."
Council members must weigh the need for a planned sidewalk system that has been on the books with the "heart-wrenching decisions" to assess people, especially those not in a position to pay. "And that's tough," Steeber said.
Council members approved every segment suggested by staff.
-- Approved buying a vacant property at 316 Linn St. The city will tear down the structure and either sell the property to abutting property owners or donate the land to Habitat for Humanity.
JANESVILLE — Janesville City Council members opted Monday not to spend money to increase parking at the Janesville Senior Center, even declining to spend several thousand dollars to create a permit system.
"I'm not in favor of spending money, regardless of the amount, when we don't have it," council member Frank Perrotto said.
The council considered two options: spending $110,000 to change the traffic direction on two streets to create angled parking, or implementing a permit system so seniors only could park in the public lot in back of the center during certain hours.
The city has already asked employees at nearby Mercy Options, to park across the street in the parking plaza to open up an additional 17 spots.
The seniors had asked for 20 additional spots and wanted the city to buy the former site of the Rock County Jail for green space and parking.
Before the vote, Don Allison, a senior center member, said parking is needed so the center could become a vital part of the community and open its doors to other groups. And the number of senior citizens continues to grow, he said.
"Parking may be a problem only part of the time today," Allison said. "It will certainly be a far more serious problem tomorrow.
"If you don't provide for the future of the center today, you will find yourselves building another one tomorrow."
Jay Winzenz, assistant city manager, said several nearby property owners contacted the city saying additional parking isn't needed, one-way streets would confuse traffic patterns and the angled parking would remove green space.
The owner of the old jail site has said the property is an important redevelopment site and does not favor turning it into parking.
Several council members said they have been keeping an eye on the parking lot since the issue came before them in February and have found that parking is usually available.
Council member Kathy Voskuil suggested using a valet parking system during busy times, and Perrotto suggested scheduling popular classes at different times.
Council member Yuri Rashkin suggested the city refrain from stacking snow in the lot during winter to avoid reducing spots.
Rashkin opposed permits because of the potential bureaucratic hassle. He suggested a simple sign that says "Senior Center Parking Only."
"As far as the ($110,000), it's pretty obvious that it's just about impossible to support at this time," Rashkin said.
Perrotto, too, said the permit process would cause enforcement issues, and he said he sees no reason to buy property or go to a permit system.
Council member George Brunner said a senior center member and volunteer told him the city should do nothing because parking spaces are short only a few times a week. Brunner also said other seniors told him they didn't want to change the traffic pattern.
Possibly, in the future, something will be needed, he added. At this point, the city doesn't need to spend any money.
Council member Bill Truman said establishing permit parking could cause others in the city to ask for the same thing. He recalled being flooded by calls from seniors when the issue first surfaced, all of them requesting more parking.
Now, he said the only comments he has heard have been to leave the parking situation as it is.
For past public records, use the Public Record Calendar.
