Rockville Town Council Hears Project Concerns
By Lisa Wood
News Coordinator
Monday’s Rockville Town Council meeting opened with local business owner Gary Nicola of G & M Variety expressing his concerns and wanting clarification of two projects: the Jefferson Street Project and the York/Jefferson Streets Parking Lot. Nicola told Council after reviewing the blueprints of the Jefferson Street project he has concerns regarding the locations of the bump outs.
“A semi cannot make that turn into the alley,” he stated. “Right now, drivers pull forward into Mark’s (Thirty-Six Saloon) lot and back into it.” He explained that if the trucks cannot make that turn, they will just go over them.
He stated that six parking spaces will also be lost on Jefferson Street with the placement of the bump outs. “Nobody asked when this drawing was done, how it will affect local business,” he added. “Not once.” He told them he found out a week before the project started.
Additionally, he told Council, entry from Market Street is not an option nor anywhere else. His concern is product delivery. There will also be two bump outs at the Thirty-Six Saloon; one at the alley and one at the parking lot.
He addressed Council next regarding the parking lot project. He told Council that Thompson’s Beauty had 72 students this past fall. He said, “There is only one thing that should be blacktopped and striped.” He said they have 12 employees, then you have Neva’s, Ruby’s, etc. “I just want you to know what you are dealing with,” said Nicola. “I will tell you what people care about, ‘Is there a parking place so I can go shopping?’”
Executive Director of Partnership Parke County, Cyndi Todd, updated Council on the Water Project Grant. “Unfortunately, the SRF Funds have all been exhausted so there is not any additional money for Round 2,” she explained. “This was for some extra work we were trying to do.” She said the results of the OCRA Grant the town applied for will not be known until August.
For the full article, see this week’s edition of the Parke County Sentinel.
