Council discusses parking shortage around the square

    The issue of parking on the square was debated at the Washington City Council meeting Wednesday night. Washington resident and former council member Sherri Dusenbery addressed the council with a concern she had over the city parking lot on North Marion Avenue across from the Post Office.

    Dusenbery carpools in a van to the University of Iowa in Iowa City that leaves from the parking lot on North Marion. She said that she was informed earlier Wednesday that she and the other people who carpool to the university can no longer park in the city parking lot. City Administrator Dave Plyman said he called the university to make the request in an effort to free up more parking spaces in the lot.

    ?Essentially, the City of Washington was being expected to provide parking for university purposes instead of local purposes,? said Plyman. ?This is an investment the City made to serve the downtown and not the University of Iowa.?

    Mayor Sandra Johnson said Main Street Washington and the Chamber of Commerce have voiced concerns over the availability of parking in the downtown.

    ?We have so many employees parking on the square that we don?t have space for shoppers,? said Johnson.

    Dusenbery said that she learned of this issue in May, which was when the street committee discussed the city parking lot and the parking around the square. She said that she sent an e-mail and a voice message to Johnson but did not receive a response. 

    ?We?ve parked there for 13 years and there hasn?t been an issue,? said Dusenbery. ?I wanted to resolve this before it got to this point, where I had to come to a council meeting to get it addressed.?

    Dusenbery said she has kept an eye on parking in the square since the issue arose and told the council the parking problem on the square is not that bad.  

    ?I?ve been to that lot, and around the square, in the morning, afternoon and evening, and there has never been a time in the last two months when there has been a full parking lot or full parking around the square,? said Dusenbery. ?I still don?t understand why, all of a sudden, the six spots we take up, is an issue. Are you going to tell the courthouse that they can?t have court all day because they?re taking up parking spaces? It?s ridiculous.?

Councilman Bob Shepherd said the city is trying to increase parking for the people who live in apartments in the downtown area or who shop downtown. He said that he tried to find a parking space around the square earlier that day and was unable to do so.

?I?m off every Friday, and I?d love for you to call me one time when this square was full,? said Dusenbery.

    ?I wish I had called you today because I couldn?t find a spot downtown,? said Shepherd.

?I don?t believe you, to be honest,? replied Dusenbery. ?I?ve never seen this square full. Maybe it?s full on a good Thursday night when there is a farmers market, but other than that, I don?t believe you.?

For more, see our July 8 print edition.