Plainwell city officials plan to put a brake on the number of drivers using the former city hall parking lot to cut through.
City manager Erik Wilson brought the idea up to city council at their Monday, Dec. 12, regular meeting.
“We’ve had businesses complain about the speed of people cutting through,” Wilson said. “We had an accident there where an employee was backing out and was hit.”
The parking lot can be entered from M-89 or North Main Street, making it attractive to cutting through to avoid the downtown traffic light.
Community development manager Denise Siegel said now that the Dance Kraze dance studio has moved into the former city hall it is hosting all sorts of children for classes, while nearby Dancing Dogs is quite popular with older people taking classes.
Wilson said, “I was watching and people just blow the stop sign.”
The sign in the middle of the parking lot is supposed to make people coming from the riverwalk have an easy time crossing.
Water renewal superintendent Bryan Pond—while admitting he sometimes cut through himself—asked whether the city could simply block off the lot in the middle. Wilson said the nearby businesses get truck deliveries in the lot and those trucks wouldn’t be able to turn around.
Personnel manager Sandy Lamorandier pointed out it had gotten a lot worse since the police department moved out. Police cars were formally always parked outside, providing a deterrent.
Wilson said the city could put in speed bumps at two ends, make sure the stop sign in the middle is more prominent and post no thru traffic signs. Once the signs are posted, the city can write tickets for people using the parking lot to cut through.
Councilmember Lori Steele doubted people really save much time as opposed to going through the light.
“I can beat Bryan in my school bus when I do it right,” Steele said.
The council agreed to let Wilson go ahead with the steps he outlined.
Contact Dan Pepper at dpepper@allegannews.com or at (269) 673-5534 or (269) 685-9571.
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