CROTHERSVILLE
Parking spots are limited in downtown Crothersville.
Business owners say if any of the spots are taken away, it would affect their business.
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Several of the business owners showed up at the Crothersville Town Council meeting earlier this month concerned after hearing about a request to change parking along Armstrong Street or U.S. 31.
Rumors circulated that there may be no parking allowed on one or both sides of the road.
Council President Danieta Foster let the business owners know that it was only an inquiry made with the Indiana Department of Transportation. She said it started when she was asked by a couple of residents about whose responsibility it was to fix rough spots on a bridge on U.S. 31 on the north edge of town.
When she asked that question on INDOT’s website, she also asked about parking along U.S. 31 in the downtown. A consultant visited the town last year and gave pointers on making safe routes to the school, and one suggestion was not allowing parking on one side of U.S. 31.
Foster made it clear that she was not asking about the parking situation to affect any of the businesses.
“My name was thrown out — and I don’t appreciate it at all — that I was trying to hurt businesses. It’s not true,” she said. “We have sat in this room (at the town hall) multiple times talking about this, and everybody here knew something needed to be done.”
She said she has been attending council meetings for about 15 years, and parking concerns have been expressed numerous times. She said police officers and other town employees have had concerns, too.
“It’s not set in stone with me, and I was not trying to hurt anybody’s business,” Foster said. “I wouldn’t hurt any business in Crothersville, and for anybody to insinuate that makes me so mad, and it was said. I want all of you to know that would never happen.”
The business owners were glad to hear the council didn’t want to change the parking.
“As a person that owns one of the businesses, I appreciate that,” said Randy Richey, owner of Stop In Liquors. “I think there are always going to be times when there are cars parked anywhere, whether it be here in Crothersville, Austin, Seymour or anything. If you have both sides like that, there’s always going to be a danger part.”
Richey said he didn’t think not allowing parking would make the area any safer.
He said the biggest problem with space being tight through the downtown is when Interstate 65 is closed because of a wreck and traffic detours via U.S. 31.
“I appreciate you guys thinking about the businesses because (not allowing parking) would hurt my package store,” Richey said. “It would really hurt us bad, but I don’t want anybody to get hurt, either. I think that’s just part of when we’re driving, you have to be conscious of what you’re doing anyway.”
Councilman Bob Lyttle said he didn’t think any parking changes should be made because it could hinder businesses.
“If there had been quite a few incidents that had happened, (changes could have been considered), but I believe there hasn’t,” he said. “I feel we need to keep 31 open.”
Councilman Chad Wilson said he recently drove through the downtown when cars were parked on both sides of U.S. 31 and a semitrailer came through.
“I slowed down enough to watch that semi come through, and there was quite a bit of room between the semi and the parked cars,” he said. “You just need to utilize common sense when you drive through there. There is a speed limit. I personally think there’s enough room.”
The speed limit on Armstrong Street is 30 mph.
“Making no parking on either side of 31, after putting a lot of thought into this, I think it’s a bad idea,” Wilson said. “We need the parking spots. We want to encourage businesses to come downtown, we want people to shop downtown, we want them to shop local. We also want to have the parking spots for them. Any parking spots that we have are going to be a valuable asset to any business.”
Town resident Glenda Robinson asked if changing the speed limit to 20 mph would make a difference. Foster said the council could not change the speed limit because INDOT determines that on state and federal roads.
Lyttle agreed with Wilson saying motorists just need to drive with caution through town.
“If people don’t pay attention, it doesn’t matter the speed limit. If they don’t pay attention, accidents are going to happen anyway,” Lyttle said. “We can put the signs up and we can write tickets (for people driving above the speed limit), but it’s actually up to individuals. … Something that your residents in town could help with is watch your speed, watch what’s going on.”
Water Superintendent Chris Mains said the most dangerous area in the downtown is the intersection of Armstrong and Main streets. On both sides of the intersection, a motorist’s visibility can be obstructed if vehicles are parked along Armstrong Street.
“There are times when it’s not very safe up there, in my opinion,” he said. “When you go on up to the stop sign off of West Main and cars are lined up, it isn’t safe.”
Mains also said cars sometimes park on the curb in front of the library, which is at that corner.
“There’s no other place for them to park but up on the curb,” he said. “I’m not saying to take away parking. I’m just saying there are times, in my opinion, it’s not that safe up there.”
Police Chief Matt Browning said there have been a lot of reported accidents at that intersection.
“I’ve gotten several subpoenas from lawyers requesting all of the information. They want photos of the accident scene each direction everywhere you’re coming from,” he said.
A resident asked about decreasing the width of the sidewalks in the area, which would made the street wider. If that was done, though, the town would have to cover the cost of changing the sidewalks. Plus, there are light poles that would have to be moved.
Town resident Alisa Sweazy works for INDOT. She said it wasn’t INDOT’s request to have no parking on the east side of U.S. 31.
“It’s the request of INDOT to have the consensus of the council if that’s what they want,” she said. “INDOT’s not trying to hurt anybody through there, either.”
Foster said it was a matter of the town and INDOT working together to discuss any possible issues in the downtown area.
“You did exactly right reporting the concern on our website,” Sweazy said. “That’s one way you can contact us by doing that.”