MONROE - What are they aiming at, and when will they pull the trigger?
The question of what to do about the parking ramp in downtown Monroe will go to the Common Council next month, with a recommendation to wait from the Board of Public Works.
The recommendation on a 4-1 vote, with Tyler Schultz voting against, came at a meeting Monday, Sept. 16, after discussion with Main Street Monroe representatives.
Main Street Monroe is asking the city to wait on its intention to tear down the deteriorating ramp and replace it with a surface parking lot or, possibly, a smaller ramp.
MSM sent a letter dated Sept. 11 to the city, which outlined pending ideas of what to build to replace the ramp, and proposed to come back to the city "with a timeline for review and analysis of possible alternatives, aiming for design to be done in the summer-winter of 2014-2015, and construction in 2015."
The organization also suggested the city add "a budget item, perhaps $500,000, which would start to build a fund for replacement ahead of actual expenditures."
The organization offered to work with the city, in the meantime, to upgrade the current ramp to make it safer and more attractive to use, and "to maintain its structural integrity at least through next year."
MSM included a to-do list to be completed as soon as possible "within a budget of $20,000-$35,000 plus volunteer labor and possible donated materials." The list includes pressure washing, painting, installing better lighting, removing all the doors and replacing all the glass in the southeast stair well, and installing wireless cameras.
The letter was signed for "Main Street and the Downtown Community" by Ryan Wilson, president of MSM Board of Directors, and Craig Patchin, a downtown property owner/developer and MSM committee member.
The city board members and MSM representatives agreed that the ramp needs to be torn down, but from there the issue became debatable.
BPW member Tom Miller argued for more time, because, "We don't know what we want," he said.
Schultz argued that the city has talked about what to do with the ramp for two years, "long enough to make a decision," he said. The only thing the city doesn't know is how it's going to pay for whatever it does decide to do, he added.
Board member Chuck Schuringa noted a tipping point in the decision wait: How much is the city prepared to spend for repairs on a facility targeted for demolition - "to keep sticking thousands of dollars into it?" he said.
"I'm sure repairs and safety is going to be added in," he said, but added he was not in favor of spending money on facial uplifts.
Mayor Bill Ross noted his concerns about the ramp's safety and "known structural problems." Eventually, "someone is going to have to make the decision to close it down," he added.
But when that decision may have to come is also unknown.
Al Gerber, city engineer supervisor, said several parking spaces in one area have been and should be blocked off for safety from falling concrete, but only at times when there was a possibility the ramp would be at or near full capacity, such as Cheese Days.
Reid Stangel, chairman of the board, said the only voices being heard on the ramp's future are coming from downtown business and property owners.
The "other 85 percent don't say anything, nothing until they start paying for this," he added.
Wilson added that once a timeline for the removal and rebuild is set, the people responsible for completing each task should "have their feet held to the fire, so things get done at a specific time."
The question of what to do about the parking ramp in downtown Monroe will go to the Common Council next month, with a recommendation to wait from the Board of Public Works.
The recommendation on a 4-1 vote, with Tyler Schultz voting against, came at a meeting Monday, Sept. 16, after discussion with Main Street Monroe representatives.
Main Street Monroe is asking the city to wait on its intention to tear down the deteriorating ramp and replace it with a surface parking lot or, possibly, a smaller ramp.
MSM sent a letter dated Sept. 11 to the city, which outlined pending ideas of what to build to replace the ramp, and proposed to come back to the city "with a timeline for review and analysis of possible alternatives, aiming for design to be done in the summer-winter of 2014-2015, and construction in 2015."
The organization also suggested the city add "a budget item, perhaps $500,000, which would start to build a fund for replacement ahead of actual expenditures."
The organization offered to work with the city, in the meantime, to upgrade the current ramp to make it safer and more attractive to use, and "to maintain its structural integrity at least through next year."
MSM included a to-do list to be completed as soon as possible "within a budget of $20,000-$35,000 plus volunteer labor and possible donated materials." The list includes pressure washing, painting, installing better lighting, removing all the doors and replacing all the glass in the southeast stair well, and installing wireless cameras.
The letter was signed for "Main Street and the Downtown Community" by Ryan Wilson, president of MSM Board of Directors, and Craig Patchin, a downtown property owner/developer and MSM committee member.
The city board members and MSM representatives agreed that the ramp needs to be torn down, but from there the issue became debatable.
BPW member Tom Miller argued for more time, because, "We don't know what we want," he said.
Schultz argued that the city has talked about what to do with the ramp for two years, "long enough to make a decision," he said. The only thing the city doesn't know is how it's going to pay for whatever it does decide to do, he added.
Board member Chuck Schuringa noted a tipping point in the decision wait: How much is the city prepared to spend for repairs on a facility targeted for demolition - "to keep sticking thousands of dollars into it?" he said.
"I'm sure repairs and safety is going to be added in," he said, but added he was not in favor of spending money on facial uplifts.
Mayor Bill Ross noted his concerns about the ramp's safety and "known structural problems." Eventually, "someone is going to have to make the decision to close it down," he added.
But when that decision may have to come is also unknown.
Al Gerber, city engineer supervisor, said several parking spaces in one area have been and should be blocked off for safety from falling concrete, but only at times when there was a possibility the ramp would be at or near full capacity, such as Cheese Days.
Reid Stangel, chairman of the board, said the only voices being heard on the ramp's future are coming from downtown business and property owners.
The "other 85 percent don't say anything, nothing until they start paying for this," he added.
Wilson added that once a timeline for the removal and rebuild is set, the people responsible for completing each task should "have their feet held to the fire, so things get done at a specific time."