Belleville DDA decides on layout for one-way Fourth St. to library

The Belleville Downtown Development Authority decided four parking spaces along the newly designed Fourth Street will be located just off Main Street, to accommodate visitors to the museum on one side and businesses on the other side.
At its regular meeting on Sept. 18, the DDA was presented with two more drawings, with a total of three options designed by Phil Westmoreland of Spicer Group for the layout of the part of Fourth Street left after the library construction is complete.
DDA member Jim Chudzinski said he took a good look at Fourth Street and there is not much room there, although the drawings look like there is a lot of space. He said he would like the four parking spaces closer to Main Street.
DDA treasurer Sabrina Richardson-Williams said she talked to her neighbors in Victoria Commons and they said they would like the parking in the middle of the block for aesthetic reasons.
Chairing the meeting was vice chairperson Alicia McGovern in the absence of chairperson Rosemary Loria. It was announced Loria had just been released from the hospital. McGovern asked everyone to keep Loria in their thoughts.
McGovern asked if the street option had to be decided at this meeting and DDA coordinator Carol Thompson said it did. She said while amenities for the street can be customized down the road, “We’re at a point we want to be talking to the concrete group.”
Mayor Kerreen Conley said she was not overly excited about the signs proposed so that can be decided later.
Museum Director Katie Dallos said this was the first time she saw what was being proposed for Fourth Street, next to the museum. She said people who have trouble walking generally park in the first two places on Fourth Street because they can’t go in the side door and have to walk around to the front door. She said they also usually park at the first two spots on Roys Street and in front, on Main, as well.
She said there was no quilt show this year because the Western Wayne County Quilters were concerned about parking for the elderly that attend.
“It would hinder us to push the parking back [to the middle of the block],” Dallos said, referring to one of the options.
Belleville Area District Library Board president Sharon Peters and Library Director Mary Jo Suchy also were present to hear what was going to happen on Fourth Street.
Peters said they talked with their site building director and, “We will be fine with either option you choose.”
She said there will be 89 spots in the new lot next to the library, but they won’t be available until early summer next year.
“We’re looking for a cultural hub for the whole community,” Peters said. “I have a lot of sensitivity to people with disabilities these days.”
“I would like parking as the number one [choice] closer to Main Street for other businesses besides the library,” Chudzinski said.
Mayor Conley said she liked the parking in the middle of the block because it is more symmetrical. But the parking on Main Street is compromised, she said.
McGovern said visually it is better with the parking away from Main Street, but because of the need for parking there expressed by business property owner Dr. Jawad at a previous meeting and the museum, she would have to go with the parking next to Main.
This was Valerie Kelly-Bonner’s first meeting as a member of the DDA since being appointed and she said she was not informed enough to comment.
DDA member Jason Mida said he is in favor of keeping the parking close to the businesses.
DDA secretary Denise Baker said as a businessperson, she is in favor of keeping the parking closer to Main Street and the benches farther down toward the library.
Richardson-Williams said most of the businesses in that area close at 5 p.m., but she was reminded of Egan’s Pub that would be open later.
Chudzinski made the motion to approve that evening’s layout #1, with parking at Main Street, and that was seconded by Mida. The motion passed. Richardson-Williams cast the only nay vote and Kelly-Bonner did not vote.
In a report to the DDA on what she calls the “Belleville 4th Street Placemaking Project,” Thompson said Fourth
Street continues to function as a street, changing to one-way, directing traffic towards the new library and the adjacent library/city parking lot.
She said in a 2010 parking study there were 243 parking spaces in the downtown, the six blocks from the bridge to Five Points. That included 104 parking spaces on Main Street, 82 spaces in the Liberty Street parking lot, and 61 spaces (public and private) within one block of Main. The new library/city parking lot will have 91 spaces (previous city and library lots had 37); Fourth Street had eight spaces, changing to four. This provides a net gain of 51 spaces and downtown will have 294 spaces.
Vintage Main Street History Exhibit
Thompson commented on the signs on display in the front of the meeting room that were set to be erected on the fence in the 500 block of Main to show pictures of the former businesses that were there in the past and a drawing of one of the new businesses that would be constructed by Scott Jones.
The historical pictures were produced with the DDA staff working with Ahearn Signs. They were erected Sept. 20.
Thompson said they later could be put up on Fourth Street as a way to extend their use. Also, Thompson put in the packet pictures of how the City of Wyandotte uses historical pictures, maps, and writeups to tell of past buildings on the sites.
Councilman Jesse Marcotte said he thought the historical pictures were a cool idea going forward. He said Wyandotte has a plaque on every building downtown with a picture of what it used to look like, plus a brochure with numbers.
“We will be getting together with everyone to maximize the development,” said Peters.
Thompson said at the next meeting, Oct. 16, DDA members could look at options and discuss all the amenities for Fourth Street, including benches, flower pots, trash cans, tree grates, and history or interpretive panels.
During its 28-minute meeting on Sept. 18, the DDA also approved accounts payable of $76,705.51, which included a payment on the capital improvement bond of $65,460 to the Bank of New York Mellon for Main Street improvements; $2,870 to Terrafirma for pond maintenance at Village Park, and $2,812.50 to the Midwest Sculpture Initiative for installation/deinstallation of the outdoor sculptures.