Marshalltown City Council amended an ordinance to include new parking on Center Street Monday night.
During its weekly meeting, the council approved the first reading of an amended city ordinance that would install several new parking spots from Church Street to Linn Street, along Center Street.
The ordinance originally called for permission, along with the addition of new spots, between Boone and Church Streets. Concerns about emergency vehicle access caused the council to adopt an amendment stipulating a smaller area for the spaces.
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T-R PHOTO BY DAVID ALEXANDER
Road crews erroneously painted new parking spaces in front of Emerson Process Management, 205 S. Center St., between Linn and Boone Streets, shown here Monday evening. The addition of the parking spaces would impede emergency vehicles. Council amended the proposed ordinance to only allow parking on Center Street from Linn Street to Church Street. Road crews will have to remove the spaces in front of Emerson.
Bob Schubert, first-ward council member, moved to amend the ordinance.
Marshalltown Fire Chief Steve Edwards said the original plan for the additional spaces was problematic, specifically between Linn and Boone Streets in the southbound lane.
"With that center island being out there, if I have to get fire engines out there, there is no place for people to pull over," he said.
City workers already painted lines for additional parking on Center Street where the ordinance originally specified, right in front of Emerson Process Management, 205 S. Center St.
Lynn Couch, public works director, said he gave crews the green light to move forward with painting because he didn't sense any resistance from the council at previous meetings when the topic arose.
Road workers will now have to sandblast the fresh paint from the road since there will no longer be parking spaces on that segment of Center Street.
Bill Egleston, of Marshalltown, said the street's changing from two lanes to one lane in the area is not preferable. Drivers would have to then wait in traffic to turn onto Boone Street.
"We have had two lanes there for eons," he said.
Couch said there would still be space for cars to get over to turn onto Boone, there just would no longer be a turn lane.
The council will have two more readings on this topic before voting to adopt the resolution. Parking for the new spaces will still be limited to three hours.