The newly refurbished parking lot behind City Hall was open for business -- er, parking -- yesterday. It is handsome indeed, as compromises made during the construction process eased many of the concerns voiced by the Planning and Historic Preservation boards.
Those concerns included islands and landscaping, Belgian block curbing , trees, and replacement of temporary fencing along the 5th Street side. All were addressed [the DPW will submit a request for funding the fencing in FY2007].
The chief remaining problems as outlined to the Administration by the Planning and Historic Preservation boards are lighting and buffering. [One board member commented to PT that night lighting in the lot was reminiscent of that at a high-security prison -- way brighter than regulations call for.]
However, there is another, larger problem that remains: the paucity of parking at City Hall generally. It is just too tight, and many people have to find other spots than in the City Hall lot when visiting the building. And that with the lot paved absolutely edge-to-edge [which was one of the gripes of the two Boards].
A possible solution lies close to hand: the Salvation Army parking lot across East 6th Street from City Hall.
When the Salvation Army purchased and demolished the dilipidated dwelling on the corner a number of years ago, Capt. Thibault approached the city saying the SA would be interested in making arragements for the City to use it during the week. For a fee, of course. Which is only fair.
What would be the harm in the Administration revisiting that conversation, with an eye to adding space and making parking at City Hall less of a hassle?
-- Dan Damon
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