Niles property owner speaks out against move

Not everyone is happy about the Niles City Council’s decision to temporarily eliminate parking on a portion of Broadway Street beginning with the closure of the Main Street Bridge.

The city is expecting traffic flow to more than double as vehicles are detoured to Broadway and the Broadway Bridge during the Main Street Bridge Replacement project, which is expected to begin the week of Oct. 6.

Ralph Ballard, who owns a four-apartment rental at 501 Broadway, said prohibiting parking on the north side of Broadway from Fifth to Seventh streets would force his tenants to find another place to park. It would also make it difficult, he said, for people to bring in equipment needed to mow grass and remove snow, since on-street parking isn’t allowed.

“It will be very inconvenient,” Ballard said. “Please consider not closing parking.”

Administrator Ric Huff said on-street parking in that area causes the street to become so narrow in the wintertime that vehicles often have to stop to let others pass through. That can pose a safety hazard, especially for large emergency vehicles that might need to pass through quickly.

“We can’t do that with 15,000 cars a day,” said Huff, adding that the city might permanently prohibit parking in that area based on how the temporary restriction plays out.

The council voted 7-0 to approve the temporary parking restriction. Gretchen Bertschy was absent.

No one other than Ballard publicly complained about the parking change.

 

Property acquisition

Also Monday, the council voted 5 to 1 to purchase a property at 208 Howard Street for no more than $5,000. The property is located next to the Niles Housing Commission and the former Timber Lanes Bowling Alley.

Scott Clark, who provided the lone dissenting vote, said he did not think it was responsible for the city to use taxpayer dollars to buy someone out of a bad situation.

“I don’t think it is right,” Clark said.

Huff said the city’s desire to purchase the property was not based on wanting to bail out the property owner, Dexter Schlutte. Instead, Huff said the city wanted to purchase the space in order to increase the size of the parking lot for the Niles Housing Commission.

“In order for us to expand the parking lot there and make the approach to the senior high rise a little more cosmetically appealing, our desire was to own the property — not necessarily to make him repair it,” Huff said.

The city owns the property that the housing commission is on, but the housing commission is an independent organization from the city, Huff explained. The housing commission would be responsible for turning 208 Howard into a parking lot.

“I know that is their desire,” said Huff, adding that the property has been vacant for approximately 10-plus years.

Also Monday:

• The council approved the 15th annual downtown trick or treat program to be held from 4 to 5 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 25.

• The council agreed to purchase an eCitation software system at a cost of $9,953.40 for use in all police patrol vehicles. Police Chief Jim Millin said it would allow them to write tickets in a more efficient manner and reduce errors.

• Niles resident Grace DeMayo urged citizens to contact the Comcast Service Center in Niles Township and urge them to not close.

• Niles resident Jan Personette thanked the street department for fixing sunken manholes on South Third Street.