Belleville DDA considers new design for 4th Street in front of new library

Should the piece of Fourth Street that will lead from Main Street to the new library be made into a grassy lawn space or should a one-way street lead from Main to the library entrance and then to the new 89-space public parking lot and the alley?
“We want feedback before putting pen to paper,” said Marcus McNamara of Spicer Group at the regular meeting of the Belleville Downtown Development Authority on March 20.
McNamara, project manager, said they have looked at what’s there now and have come up with some options for the DDA to sleep on. Also present at the meeting was Spicer Senior Project Manager Phil Westmoreland, P.E.
McNamara said the buildings on Fourth Street are close to the roadway. He suggested continuing the work from the Fourth Street Square, including stone walls, planters and the compass on the paving.
He said Fourth Street could be one way to the library with an 18′ driveway, with parallel parking on the west side and angle parking on the east side. The drive would be one way to the parking lot behind the businesses.
Do they want maximum parking spaces or a pedestrian mall feel. Would the area be blocked off periodically for events. If so, he warned, curbs are trip hazards so there would have to be ramps and pedestrian paths.
Do they want green space? Trees? A rain garden, which would be depressed? Raised planters, which would not be good for events.
“The visual into the library is important,” McNamara said, “coordinating the area to make sure the library front door is noticeable.”
If there is frequent-event space having a turning radius for the fire department would have to be considered. With 6.5′ sidewalks on each side, there is 46′ between to work with, he said. Perpendicular parking would need 20′ and parallel parking 8′. The benches, trash receptacles, or trees would take 5-6′, he said.
He said they could do some drawings to see how that would fit.
McNamara said they would look into funding and grants and present drawings to the DDA with a cost estimate. He said they would have to coordinate with the library team so they would know who was doing what, when?
“Is there a way to have stamped pavement to set it off?” asked DDA coordinator Carol Thompson. She said it would be nice to have it creative, so people would know they “are coming to someplace different, not just Fourth Street.”
Planning Commissioner John Juriga, who also is an elected member of the district library board, said he remembers when Tom Fielder was mayor and there was a discussion on continuing Fourth Street Square across the street. They talked about eliminating parking and putting trees and plants in, working with the library architect.
DDA member Jason Mida said he agreed with getting rid of the parking, since there is public parking next to the library and behind the Fourth Street Square.
“Are we going to hold events there regularly?” he asked. “What’s our goal for use of this space.”
The library architect had provided a drawing of what could be done.
In that drawing 8-9 parking spaces would be lost, but he noted there are 89 new spaces in the new parking lot.
When work on this area was referred to as “placemaking,” DDA Treasurer Sabrina Richardson Williams asked just what is placemaking.
Thompson said it was a plan for public space and was about how you could serve people. Would it be a gathering place? Be creative how they use the space? Main Street America, a national trust, talks about placemaking.
“I’m in favor of keeping a one-way drive to the library,” said DDA chairwoman Rosemary Loria, noting that decision would come from the city council.
“I would like to see it as a gathering place,” said Williams.
DDA secretary Denise Baker said they want people to walk around and not just drive through town.
Williams said she was at the library for a 7 p.m. music event and went to Egan’s first.
“It would have been nice to sit outside,” she said.
Chairperson Loria made a quick list, with help from others, on how many events could be at this site: Harvest Fest, car show, farmer’s market, outdoor events for the museum and library.
Councilman Fielder said the museum wants its Model T to come in and out of its space, but it doesn’t have to be concrete.
“The more concrete gone, the better,” Fielder said, noting the Rosie the Riveter group has a street dance in that area.
Sharon Peters, chairwoman of the district library board, said people could get to the library using Charles Street.
Mida said they could have events on both sides of Fourth Street, using the crosswalk on Main to get back and forth.
Fielder pointed out only one business on Fourth wouldn’t have parking in front of its business. “I’d much prefer to have green space for the museum,” Fielder said.
McNamara said there is no legal obligation to provide on-street parking.
Fielder said he envisions driving down a lane with green on both sides. He said they should not put up stuff to inhibit events. He said the Iron Belle Trail is going through Belleville.
“We could have activity from Liberty Street to the library,” Fielder said.
“I think it can be a very fun project for us to do,” Loria said.
In other business at the March 20 meeting, the DDA:
• Heard Juriga give a report on the use of the grant given by the DDA to Music Lakeside-Arts Council. He said this is the tenth year for Music Lakeside and, altogether, the 30th year for community concerts in Belleville, including the Victory Park events. He said they used the grants to promote the nine concerts on the lake, which brought from 200 to 450 people. He said they put speakers toward the lake and at the beginning there were four boats listening on the lake and at the end of the series there were 35. He said this year’s Soiree to earn money for the project is June 17. He said now the church that houses the concerts during rain events will be charging them $150 each time;
• Heard Fielder report that Museum Director Katie Dallos is still under the weather and so he will give the report on the DDA grant to the museum. He said she had her surgeries, but now there is an infection somewhere and she is grounded for another week. He said there were a lot of people at Harvest Fest, from 350-400 in a four-hour span. He described the ornament workshops that had 100 kids. The Festival of Lights is over a 6-week span and the First Thursday events start after the March quilt show which brings 400-500 people. This year there is no quilt show. He also told of use of the archives by the public and how they keep the library open late when there are high school reunions and people want to come to the museum;
• Discussed the ten outdoor sculptures that have been selected for Belleville and Van Buren Township and will be put in place sometime in late May, when the current sculptures are removed;
• Heard Thompson announce the Iron Belle Trail town hall meeting from 7-9 p.m., April 8, at the Commons area at Belleville High School to hear the proposed route through VBT and Belleville. She said it is expected to be on the agenda of the April 15 city council meeting where the council can support the plan in order to get the grant money available;
• Heard Thompson say there is some concern about what happens to the kayak launch when VBT lowers the lake. If the lowering is just 3′ or so there wouldn’t be a problem. If it is 6-7′, the DDA will have to pull everything at the launch out of the water for the month of September to protect it from damage. “We have a good bit of work before us,” she said, noting it will be an unexpected expense. “They’re still very vague about the whole thing,” Loria said, referring to announced plans by VBT; and
• Heard City Manager Diana Kollmeyer say the work on the city’s seawall is another worry with the lowering of the lake. She said the hammering equipment for the project is in route and, “Rick and I are feeling an extreme state of relief,” referring to DPW Director Rick Rutherford. The seawall repairs have been a concern for several years.