Council puts brakes on traffic request from school district

By BROOKS TAYLOR

Mt. Pleasant News

Mt. Pleasant City Council members put a yellow light on a request from the Mt. Pleasant Community School District for one-way traffic in front of Lincoln Elementary School for one-hour periods prior to and following the school day.

Although the council did pass the first reading of an ordinance, the ordinance was referred to the street committee for further study and a recommendation prior to the council?s Sept. 10 regular meeting.

The school district requested that from 7:30-8:30 a.m. and 2:40-3:30 p.m., East Webster Street be a one-way street from South Walnut to South Locust streets with traffic traveling west.

East Green Street would be closed to all traffic and be used for bus traffic only from South Locust Street to Corkhill Street (one block) with bus traffic proceeding west. Buses would be the only vehicles allowed to travel on this block. All student pick-up and drop-off would be done on East Webster Street.

Council members expressed concern that the change would inconvenience residents living near the intersection of East Webster and South Walnut streets and wishing to drive east. The one-way designation would force these motorists to first travel west before being able to turn east and drive to their intended destination.

Councilman Tim Gray, noting that the school district made a similar request some years ago for one-way travel at Van Allen Elementary School said, ?If this is only for an hour, maybe we should also include Van Allen.?

City Administrator Brent Schleisman said there is a big difference in traffic patterns near the two schools. ?Van Allen is on Henry Street and that is one of our major east-west routes which makes a big difference.?

Mayor Steve Brimhall said he felt ?we should deal with this one first? before considering any traffic changes at other Mt. Pleasant elementary schools.

Council members passed the second reading of an ordinance amending temporary and promotional sign regulations. ?We are writing it to what we are practicing,? noted Schleisman. ?Hopefully, it will make it easier for Jack (Swarm, city building and zoning administrator) to enforce,? added Brimhall.

Among other things, new language says temporary sign permits are not required for temporary signs erected by hospitals, nonprofit fraternal institutions, provided that they are used solely for fraternal purposes, and institutions of an educational, religious, philanthropic or eleemosynary character, and nonprofit museums prior to their installation, except for off-premise temporary signs that exceed five square feet in area.

The signs cannot be displayed more than 30 days before the event and must be removed within three days following the event. No more than two signs are allowed per real estate parcel.

Temporary signs located over public right-of-way must be at least eight feet above sidewalks and 14 feet above vehicle travel if the city grants an encroachment permit. The signs may not be attached to city fixtures, light poles or utility poles without written permission.

Shipley Contracting Corporation of Burlington, the general contractor for the North Iris Street reconstruction project, received a contract for $44,101.80 for reconstruction work around the railroad crossing on North Iris Street.

In other agenda items, the council:

? Passed the second ordinance amending cemetery fees.

? Approved the annual street finance report (road use tax revenue).

? Waived the right to review an Aviation Boulevard Subdivision request from Mike and Kalen Henderson.

? Approved the site plan for Endodontic Associates in the Crossroads Business Park on East Washington Street.

? Approved the site plan for an auto repair business owned by Fred Binder.

Council members meet again in regular session Wednesday, Sept. 10, at 5:30 p.m.