Parklets
The Times- Standard reports on efforts to bring parklets to Eureka. These will be small areas using current parking spaces for gardens, sitting areas, or whatever. One of those monkey- see- monkey- do things, although I suppose there's nothing inherently wrong with taking what seems like a good idea elsewhere and bringing it to your town.
Sounds fun but, as the article pointed out, we did have that concrete bench project in Old Town years ago. Those benches were taken over by the bums and homeless so it wasn't long before they were removed. You can't help but wonder if the same will happen with these?
They'll take up parking spaces, too. If there was a shortage of parking in Old Town I might object for that reason alone, but there isn't. Since this seems to be a voluntary effort depending on business to take responsibility for their own parklets, I'm happy to leave it up to them to see how it works.
posted by Fred Mangels @ 7:59 AM
8 comments
8 Comments:
There IS a shortage of parking in Old Town unless you think it's fun for a person with a disability to have to look for places two or three blocks away from where they wanted to go. The parking lots are full,naturally, with the cars of people who work in Old Town. The Old Town merchants don't provide any parking and there are no parking structures only the overcrowded lots. I would love to try the motorcycle cafe but I can't get close enough. I've eaten at Surfside exactly once for the same reason. Like others who use a cane or a wheelchair, I cruise Old Town needing to buy something and most of the time I end up taking my business elsewhere because it's just too damn hard to access. Thanks for inspiring me, Fred. I'm going to write a letter to the Times.
I should add that Old Town's loss is Henderson Center's gain.
I've never had a problem parking in Old Town. Then again, I hardly ever go down there.
" Old Town's loss is Henderson Center's gain."
Now there's a place I have a hard time with parking now and again.
I never have but wait 'til they install "parklets". !!!
It looks like they're looking for three parklets, run by three businesses, to start the pilot project. My guess is the bums will immediately take over those spots and it won't take too long for the businesses to give up on the idea.
Well maybe the Eureka City council is just trying to come up with a more aesthetic way of providing sleeping space for the bums. Kind of smacks of something Nero would be fiddling around with.
I'm sure they mean well. I even think it sounds like a nice idea. People want to make the town a more attractive and pleasant place. The problem is they forget the one thing we can't get away from: all the bums and homeless that will probably take advantage of such things before anyone else does.
A comment from someone who wasn't able to post it here, so she sent it to me:
"my comment was... I agree with Julie. I also noticed there is a vacant lot on the South end of the new Bay Front walkway. This could make a very nice parking area for employees and non-handicapped visitors, leaving street parking less crowded, allowing some handicapped parking designation on the streets and providing a lovely walk for the visitors to stroll the streets of Old Town. This could encourage more "buying time" a real plus for commerce."
Deborah Morton
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