MENTONE – Mentone Town Council heard from several residents about a prior suggestion from a property owner about connecting Viking Drive and Jackson Street Wednesday.
In May, Kelley Doering approached the council and said she and her husband purchased the three lots behind the Dollar General. She said there is a lot of traffic running through her property and finding its way to the Dollar General. It looks like the path is being used by mostly golf cart and bike traffic, she said. One of the suggestions Doering presented to the council was to see if the council could attach Viking Drive and Jackson Street.
Wednesday, several residents on Jackson Street attended the council meeting with Lee Ann Rock reading off a letter all the residents of Jackson Street signed.
“It has come to our attention that at the May 1, 2024, town council meeting, a property owner of three lots on the east end of town told the town council there was a lot of traffic running through their private property to Viking Drive and Dollar General. (Doering) suggested the council discuss attaching Jackson Street and Viking Drive so there’s safe passage for golf carts and pedestrians.
“First of all, there is one golf cart that consistently uses the path between Viking Drive and Jackson Street and on a rare occasion a second. There is more foot traffic down Jackson Street to Dollar General than there is golf cart traffic. There is one golf cart that makes the trip to Dollar General frequently. In the summer, there are occasional golf carts, but a lot is somewhat of an overstatement. Again, as previously stated there is more foot traffic than golf cart traffic,” Rock read.
The letter further stated linking Jackson Street to Viking Drive still wouldn’t provide direct access to Dollar General without crossing through private property, “nor does it address the safety issue for limited pedestrian and minimal golf cart traffic currently using Jackson Street. Is the town prepared to purchase that private property to make a back door path to Dollar General? If so, then there would only be two building lots,” Rock read.
When Dollar General was built, the citizens of Mentone were assured there would be a sidewalk along Main Street to Dollar General. The residents near Dollar General were also promised a privacy fence along the north and west sides of the store so people couldn’t approach the story through private property, the letter stated.
“Also, when Mentone was choosing projects to spend our ARPA money on, the idea of the sidewalk along Main Street was brought up. Recently, it was stated in the press that the sidewalk wasn’t feasible. Was a feasibility study done?” Rock read. “If we are truly concerned about safety, then a sidewalk along Main Street should be a top priority. There are people who walk, bicycle and skateboard on Main Street to get to Dollar General.”
If the three lots are annexed into town, water, sewage and two lanes of blacktop from Princeton to Viking Drive would require additional maintenance for the town’s street/utilities department, the letter stated, asking where the cost of the project was compared to the benefit to the town.
“(Doering) was requesting a path to Viking Drive. There is speculation that if the lots are annexed, this path would become a street,” Rock read.
The council was asked to consider things in regards to a decision about linking Viking Drive and Jackson Street, which includes: Jackson Street is too narrow for a two-way traffic flow, which would increase with school traffic if it is opened to CR 950W; most likely school buses and vehicles would choose to turn from CR 950W onto Viking Drive, then Jackson Street to access the school; the stop signs at Princeton Street and the school parking lot that intersects on Jackson Street are often disregarded, therefore this would become another dangerous intersection like Morgan and Jackson streets; there are no sidewalks on either side of Jackson Street, which could be a safety issue as pedestrians and bicyclists use the street; and more street lights and possibly another fire hydrant would need to be added, Rock read from the letter.
“We cannot see the financial benefit to the town of annexing two or three lots with the additional costs of the items listed above. As your constituents, we ask you to be truly mindful of the safety issues which will not be resolved and may in fact increase with the annexation and a possible thoroughfare made of Jackson Street,” Rock said, concluding the letter.
Council President Jill Gross said there was not a lot to say. Since the issue was brought up in May meeting, the council has not pursued anything.
“This is not something that happens tomorrow, if it happens at all,” she said. “So we appreciate the letter and you being here and being concerned.”
Gross said there was nothing being done at this moment and the council listened to Doering and now the council was listening to the residents of Jackson Street. She didn’t even know what the next step in the process would be if they did in fact move forward. The concerns will be taken into consideration if the council moves forward with connecting the two streets. Gross did say any decision “was in the back” of things to do due to possible financial obligations with the project.
In other business, the council:
• Approved to spend $2,800 to upgrade the firewalls for the Mentone Police Department and clerk-treasurer’s office computers.
• Learned the flyers returned in Mentone for their lead service line inventory exceeded the amount returned in other area communities, but still more returned forms are needed. People still have to return the form and have until July 15 to do so otherwise representatives from Commonwealth or the town will call people or knock on doors.
• Learned about a law requiring all government meetings in Indiana to be livestreamed or recorded. It doesn’t take effect until July 1, 2025. Clerk-Treasurer Amanda Yaprak said the recordings have to be publicly available for 90 days and then it can be released into the cloud.
• Heard from Utilities Superintendent Josh Shepherd stating he would like to move forward with guidelines for the cemetery. Gross said they’ll have to start making a list of guidelines they want.
• Learned from Yaprak United Pentecostal Church of Bourbon wants to do something similar to the prayer walk they did last year, but for longer. The church wants to use Mentzer Memorial Park and the event for four days around Sept. 11.