MONROE — A recent complaint by a downtown resident culminated in more than 30 minutes of discussion over the use of alleys and how to accommodate people living near alleys and those running businesses along the Square during the Public Safety Committee meeting Jan. 14.

With all four members present at City Hall, roughly 10 members of the public also attended to speak on the subject. The issue was first brought to Monroe Police Chief Fred Kelley by former city attorney Rex Ewald, owner of the Monroe Professional Center on the eastern side which houses Buggyworks Restaurant and Pub, Voegeli, Ewald & Bartholf Law Offices SC and other businesses.

Ewald said he lives on the third floor of the building and parks adjacent to the building, on its southern side, in angled parking spots with others. The small parking lot has 11 spots. When those who park there reverse their vehicle, they backup to the right, turning toward the alley between 17th and 18th Avenue to exit. The one-way alley only allows drivers to leave at the southern end and enter the 1700 block of 11th Street. 

But when a large truck is parked behind them, cars either have no means of escape or must illegally exit the alley by driving north to 10th Street.

He referred to the issue as a “pretty serious problem” and said specifically Sysco, a food delivery business, has been unaccommodating to requests to move trucks out of the way of the angled residential parking spots. He suggested the trucks park in the 1000 block of 18th Avenue, requiring a few seconds more for delivery drivers to walk to buildings like the Black Walnut Kitchen or Bartels and Co. Tap.

Ewald referred to state statute 346(5)(3) which requires at least one person to be sitting with an idling vehicle and calls for no alleyways to be blocked in the case of an emergency. At the very least, Ewald said, perhaps traffic could legally exit both sides of the alleyway so that residents were not breaking the law in attempting to leave with their vehicles.

Bartels owner Jim Bartels said he was not opposed to making a portion of the alley two-way street in order to ensure safety, but did not think requiring delivery drivers to park on the street was a safe option.

Attorney Peter Kind of Knoke, Ingebritsen & Kind Law spoke for his daughter, Stephanie Kind, owner of Black Walnut Kitchen. He said his interpretation of the law was different, that it would not require an additional driver. He noted that change was unnecessary.

“We’ve been doing it this way for 20 years because it works,” he said.

Stephanie also spoke, noting that she has a driver only once a week and he has always been accommodating to traffic within the alley. She said he had noted the problem at other times and has adjusted his parking so as to not be in the way.

Kelley said he had spoken to emergency services providers in the county, like Monroe Fire Chief Dan Smits, and was informed that blocking the alley was not a problem. Specifically, he said the alley directly behind a building, if it were on fire, would be designated a “collapse zone” and firefighters would not want to be there in the event of a fire downtown. 

A number of people called into question the safety concerns for a driver who would have to walk roughly 20 seconds from the street to the back of a business; namely because of the risks associated with the street conditions. 

Kelley said the alleys exist “to access the backs of those buildings.” 

Committee members came to a consensus with Kelley that options for two-way traffic in the alley could be considered. In the meantime, Kelley said officers could assist with “educating” the delivery drivers on proper use of the alley and encouraged the business owners in attendance to talk to drivers to ensure everyone could be accommodated without hindering everyday operations.