Continuously serving Kosciusko County since 1854
NORTH MANCHESTER - Changes to North Manchester's Main Street Project were outlined at Wednesday's town council meeting.
Revisions, including narrower sidewalks and less on-street parking, were made to comply with Indiana Department of Transportation guidelines to improve the town's chances of obtaining financing through that department.
Sidewalks on Main Street originally were planned to be 15 feet wide on each side of the street. To comply with INDOT, revisions show a 9-foot sidewalk on each side.
Board member Chris Garber raised concerns over losing sidewalk width on that street because the town's goal is to attract people to the downtown area.
"I think the width of the sidewalks is unacceptable," Garber said.
Paul Hummel, a representative of Lawson & Fisher, the firm assisting with the project, said they could try and negotiate with INDOT, but there IS no guarantee they could keep the wide sidewalks.
The sidewalk widths were reduced to allow for greater road accessibility.
Fewer parking spaces are planned under the revised plan also to increase road accessibility. The loss of spaces is a point the town hopes to negotiate.
The 15-minute parking space in front of the town utility offices is supposed to be eliminated, though town superintendent John Mugford is pushing to keep the space.
Many senior citizens use that space to run inside and pay their bills, Mugford said.
In other business, the board
• Appointed Daniel Renz as the new fire chief effective today. He appointed Mark Rozier as assistant chief.
• Approved plans to remove parking along East Street, in the Manchester College campus, and return the former parking spaces to tree lawn. The plan's intent is to slow traffic on that busy street where many pedestrians walk. The road also will be built up into a gentle slope, similar to a speed bump, to assist in slowing traffic.
• Adopted a revision to the salary ordinance. The original ordinance failed to give police officers their yearly, 3-percent raise.
• Set 2005 budget meetings for Aug. 18, Sept. 1 and Sept. 15.
Town Council members are Chris Garber, Diana Haupert, Don Rinearson, Stan Escott and Laura Rager. Town manager is Dan Hannaford, secretary-treasurer is Nancy Reed and town attorney is Charles Tiede.
