At last week’s Belleville Planning Commission it was suggested that the new master plan the commissioners were working on should contain more parkland.
Everyone wants a walkway next to the lake starting at Horizon Park and going as far as possible, even to Doane’s Landing.
A suggestion was to take out the parking lot next to Johnny’s on the Lake, since all of it except the spaces right next to the restaurant, belong to the city.
That parking lot could be more parkland, commissioners said, and it could be beautiful.
But assistant city manager Steve Jones said that people use that lot for parking when they are going to Johnny’s to eat. And, many people use it to park in when they go to sit in Horizon Park and watch the sun go down.
On the weekends the parking is used a lot. We know it is used by those attending Bugles Across America at the Veterans Memorial at the edge of the park when the streetside parking is used up.
We agree with Jones that the city shouldn’t take away parking from its businesses when so many are closing their doors. In the past there has been talk of Chase Bank selling its big parking lot and reducing its footprint since so many use the drive-in banking and on line services.
Don’t take parking away from a business that you generously shared your parking with in the past. Don’t send their customers away.
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