MONROE - Though earlier this year safety issues were raised during discussion of the downtown municipal parking ramp and its fate, the city decided to keep the structure open to the public over Green County Cheese Days.
The festival draws large crowds, from locals to national travelers. Parking downtown becomes scarce due to the influx of thousands of attendees. The parking ramp has been incrementally declining over past years, with 43 of the 212 total spaces marked as "no parking" for safety reasons.
Monroe Police Chief Fred Kelley said that while the ramp remains open, anyone parking in a space deemed unsafe will be fined. Access to the ramp will also be limited to the 15th Avenue entrance, Kelley said.
Alderwoman Brooke Bauman expressed concerns that despite the fine, some people unfamiliar with ramp safety issues will park in the open spaces and even risk the threat of a fine in exchange for a short walk to the action.
"People from out of town won't realize the state it's in," Bauman said. "And I have seen comments on Facebook from people who think it's worth parking in the no parking spots. It's not a deterrent."
Discussion at the city level regarding the municipal parking ramp has lasted a number of years. Estimates for tear down of roughly $650,000 were made in 2013 after talks about whether it should remain standing. In the summer of 2015 a downtown parking study was conducted by parking strategy firm Rich & Associates. Managers of the study pointed out options for the ramp. Project Manager David Burr said without the parking ramp other accommodations would have to be made for downtown parking. The city was given three plans by Rich & Associates: to tear down the existing structure and replace it with a ramp of the same size at 212 spaces, replace it with a smaller parking ramp of 169 stalls, or replace the ramp with a flat lot capable of holding 72 spaces. Currently parking is limited to a total of 169 stalls because of safety issues.
"Personally, I thought it should have been closed this whole time," Bauman said. "When that many spaces are docked off, it's an issue."
Mayor Louis Armstrong urged a final decision on whether the ramp should come down and made the matter his first issue as newly elected mayor. On April 9, after multiple meetings discussing their options, Monroe Common Council members agreed to tear down the parking ramp, though could not find a compromise on what structure would replace the current one. Once the parking ramp is torn down, the flat lot would be paved. At the time of the vote, Armstrong said the replacement structure could be decided at a later date given the division between council members. The need to either raze the structure or repair it was due to increasing safety concerns as more space became unusable.
City Administrator Phil Rath said the city encourages all attendees to take advantage of other parking opportunities, especially the shuttles provided during Cheese Days in the wake of limited space.
"There are a number of alternatives available for people to utilize," Rath said.
He added that attendees should be mindful of towing, which is enforced for those who park in the parking ramp. Rath said that while it can be difficult to find a space close to the Square, it would be a time-consuming and frustrating endeavor to retrieve a towed vehicle during the festival.
Alderman Tom Miller, who wanted the parking ramp down but prefers a replacement municipal ramp rather than a flat parking lot, said he has little concern about the use of the structure during the festival. Miller said he trusts city officials in the Engineering and Public Works Departments who have said 169 stalls are safe for vehicles.
"I don't see why it would need to be blocked off completely," Miller said.
Rath said funding for the destruction of the municipal ramp and paving of the space left behind was a part of a multimillion dollar borrowing through bonds and notes. The funding was approved on Sept. 7, and the city now faces the task of requesting bids from construction companies to find out the exact cost of the project and what the time frame will be once a contract is agreed upon. The project could be delayed until 2017.
The festival draws large crowds, from locals to national travelers. Parking downtown becomes scarce due to the influx of thousands of attendees. The parking ramp has been incrementally declining over past years, with 43 of the 212 total spaces marked as "no parking" for safety reasons.
Monroe Police Chief Fred Kelley said that while the ramp remains open, anyone parking in a space deemed unsafe will be fined. Access to the ramp will also be limited to the 15th Avenue entrance, Kelley said.
Alderwoman Brooke Bauman expressed concerns that despite the fine, some people unfamiliar with ramp safety issues will park in the open spaces and even risk the threat of a fine in exchange for a short walk to the action.
"People from out of town won't realize the state it's in," Bauman said. "And I have seen comments on Facebook from people who think it's worth parking in the no parking spots. It's not a deterrent."
Discussion at the city level regarding the municipal parking ramp has lasted a number of years. Estimates for tear down of roughly $650,000 were made in 2013 after talks about whether it should remain standing. In the summer of 2015 a downtown parking study was conducted by parking strategy firm Rich & Associates. Managers of the study pointed out options for the ramp. Project Manager David Burr said without the parking ramp other accommodations would have to be made for downtown parking. The city was given three plans by Rich & Associates: to tear down the existing structure and replace it with a ramp of the same size at 212 spaces, replace it with a smaller parking ramp of 169 stalls, or replace the ramp with a flat lot capable of holding 72 spaces. Currently parking is limited to a total of 169 stalls because of safety issues.
"Personally, I thought it should have been closed this whole time," Bauman said. "When that many spaces are docked off, it's an issue."
Mayor Louis Armstrong urged a final decision on whether the ramp should come down and made the matter his first issue as newly elected mayor. On April 9, after multiple meetings discussing their options, Monroe Common Council members agreed to tear down the parking ramp, though could not find a compromise on what structure would replace the current one. Once the parking ramp is torn down, the flat lot would be paved. At the time of the vote, Armstrong said the replacement structure could be decided at a later date given the division between council members. The need to either raze the structure or repair it was due to increasing safety concerns as more space became unusable.
City Administrator Phil Rath said the city encourages all attendees to take advantage of other parking opportunities, especially the shuttles provided during Cheese Days in the wake of limited space.
"There are a number of alternatives available for people to utilize," Rath said.
He added that attendees should be mindful of towing, which is enforced for those who park in the parking ramp. Rath said that while it can be difficult to find a space close to the Square, it would be a time-consuming and frustrating endeavor to retrieve a towed vehicle during the festival.
Alderman Tom Miller, who wanted the parking ramp down but prefers a replacement municipal ramp rather than a flat parking lot, said he has little concern about the use of the structure during the festival. Miller said he trusts city officials in the Engineering and Public Works Departments who have said 169 stalls are safe for vehicles.
"I don't see why it would need to be blocked off completely," Miller said.
Rath said funding for the destruction of the municipal ramp and paving of the space left behind was a part of a multimillion dollar borrowing through bonds and notes. The funding was approved on Sept. 7, and the city now faces the task of requesting bids from construction companies to find out the exact cost of the project and what the time frame will be once a contract is agreed upon. The project could be delayed until 2017.