CROTHERSVILLE — “No parking” signs now line the east side of U.S. 31 between Main and Howard streets in Crothersville.
The Indiana Department of Transportation took that action after a request from the Crothersville Town Council since the town purchased a vacant lot and added a parking lot with 14 parking spaces in the 100 block of South Armstrong Street (U.S. 31). The purpose was to make traveling through the area safer for vehicles and pedestrians and also increase visibility.
A business owner on the west side of Armstrong Street, however, addressed the council during a recent meeting, saying he wasn’t given notification or warning of this change and no one reached out to see how this would affect his business.
Randy Richey, who owns the building housing Stop In Liquors at 106 S. Armstrong St., said he was there to request the council reconsider the 24/7 no parking on the east side of the street. Parking is still allowed on the west side in front of his business.
“It does affect us. A percentage of our business comes from the factories during shift change,” he said. “They come for convenience. They park, in and out in 5 minutes and gone. My main concern is the business I’m losing from the factories.”
As far as making this change for safety concerns, Richey said he has had his business since 1993 and doesn’t know of anyone who was hit in the area; however, he knows vehicle mirrors have been hit, including his own truck about 10 years ago.
He also said when he bought his business, there were 11 others in the downtown, and people parked downtown without any problems.
“Trucks and cars have been parking on that thing for nine decades. I’ve even got an old picture of when one of my buildings was a bank, both sides of the street were full of cars and cars going north and south on 31, so that’s not anything new,” Richey said. “There’s an exit south and one north if they don’t want to go through Crothersville. They can take (Interstate) 65. … I don’t understand why that’s such a problem.”
The council also said the change was made because it’s a congested area, particularly between 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. when people stop by Subway for lunch.
“I don’t know if anybody came up with any other options other than just going 24/7 no parking,” Richey said. “Maybe no parking from 11 to 1. Part of the problem is the larger trucks park on there, and that makes it that much smaller for the other vehicles to go through, so maybe no semi parking on that side of the road. Ten-minute parking, there are a lot of different options, I think, that could be utilized other than the one that just basically cuts our throat.”
He also said the “No parking” signs may deter people from stopping downtown, but he realizes the council isn’t in business to make his business a success.
“When you come into Crothersville, you’ve got a beautiful sign out there that says ‘Welcome to Crothersville. We’re open for business.’ Please help me stay open for business,” he said.
Teresa Shepherd, who works at the liquor store, said a lot of people have told her they didn’t know the parking lot was for public use, so she suggested the town put up a sign.
Councilwoman Jerilyn Masters agreed.
“I really think a sign for our parking lot would help,” she said.
Councilman Chad Wilson said he’s not aware of anyone questioning if that was a public parking lot, and town hall officials hadn’t had any questions, either.
Councilman Jamy Greathouse, however, said someone told him they thought a business bought it and it was just for their use.
“We did purchase the land and put that parking lot in with the thought of we’re adding the amount (of parking spaces) that we’re taking away and putting it in an area that’s safer to access on and off,” Greathouse said.
“That was the whole plan with the parking lot was right there where we are busy and congested,” he said. “We didn’t want to take any parking away. We didn’t want to put (businesses) in that situation. That’s why we only wanted to limit what we were adding, as well, so that the balance was there.”
Masters suggested the town put up a sign for the free public parking lot, give it a month and see if people utilize it.
“That way, we could see where we’re at,” she said. “I just think a sign is important because I’ve used (the parking lot), but you hardly see anybody using it.”
Since the town spent money to buy the land, put in a parking lot and add solar light poles, a flagpole, a bench and landscaping, Greathouse said he wants to get in a better habit of using it.
“We also want to be friends of our community, our businesses and things,” he said. “We don’t want to do things to deter business and hurt anybody by those decisions. We’re trying to find that balance, that happy medium between the safety and the aesthetics and the other things of our community and still being able to do right by our businesses. … We’re willing to work with you, and let’s go one step at a time and see if we can come up with a happy medium.”
Richey agreed with the council’s suggestion.
“I appreciate that. Thank you very much,” he said.