Nicky Boyette – Alderman David Mitchell commented at city council Monday on a letter from Fire Marshal Jim Kelley regarding traffic issues and access to parts of Washington St. and Point St., which juts off Washington. The letter stated ESFD would have difficulty accessing all areas in the neighborhood in an emergency if street parking were fully maximized. He recommended red curbs for the west side of Washington Street for 60 feet on both sides of Point Street to allow for fire engine access, calling it a public safety issue.
Alderman Terry McClung said he could understand the caution and concern for safety, but had spent 20 years on ESFD, “and we went anywhere we wanted. We always got through.” He acknowledged parking is an issue on Washington Street, but did not remember any problems getting a firetruck through and saw no reason to change anything.
Alderman Bob Thomas added there are other places where a firetruck would have a tight squeeze getting through, and asked Mitchell how much he was willing to spend to widen all those streets.
Mitchell maintained the homes on Point Street would be inaccessible to fire equipment if Washington Street were full of parked cars, again citing public safety and liability.
Alderman James DeVito pointed out the issue was not brought to council by the fire department, it was presented to the department for a response. Bill King, who owns property in the area said this was presented to other city departments, as well. He said he saw Kelley turn an ambulance around on Point Street that day. He reiterated losing parking would be a huge inconvenience to residents of the area.
Sara Knight rents one of King’s apartments, and said the red curb plan as presented in Kelley’s letter would place a burden on her and her husband. Her mobility is compromised, she must carry an oxygen bottle with her, and claimed removing parking from the vicinity of her apartment “would make it really difficult for a person with a handicap.”
Robert Ford, another resident in the area, told council he wanted a red curb area on Washington because the street is narrow and effectively becomes a one-lane street when parking spots are full.
Fire Chief Randy Ates mentioned two other streets just as problematic. He acknowledged many streets are crowded, but citizens along Point Street could be at risk and the risk has been identified, so the city should do something about it.
King pointed out firetrucks would be coming from only one direction, so there would not need to be two access points to Point Street. With this in mind, he and Kelley had discussed a possible compromise involving the loss of maybe only one parking spot instead of five or six.
DeVito approved of King’s compromise, and Mitchell moved to table the discussion until Kelley had time incorporate the compromise into his assessment.