Hospital requests parking changes

MARENGO — To accommodate patients during construction at Compass Memorial Healthcare, the hospital is asking the City of Marengo for parking changes in the construction area.

During last week’s City Council meeting, Jesse Belez, plant operations manager for Compass, proposed putting about 10 angle parking spots on the west side of the hospital, which will be the temporary emergency room entrance, until 2025.

The hospital will move the sidewalk closer to the building and create angle parking that is 18-19 feet long, Belez said.

But Councilman Travis Schlabach said he pulled his pickup into the proposed parking area and the back of the truck protruded into the street. A truck with a long box will stick out five feet, he said.

Belez agreed that a truck would need more than 20 feet.

“I feel Western [Avenue] is one of our main thoroughfares,” said Schlabach. The city can’t allow traffic to be disrupted by parked vehicles.

“Your engineers are assuring us we won’t have an issue,” City Administrator Karla Marck told Belez.

The council suggested that the hospital push the parking closer to the building and omit the sidewalk, but Belez said the hospital has to provide a ramp for patients with disabilities.

The former American Legion Hall will be torn down, but that space will be used for construction equipment, not for parking, said Belez.

Marck suggested having patients park on Lafayette Avenue from West May to Main Street.

“That’s really tight and congested,” said Belez. He asked that the City restrict parking on both sides of Lafayette, but the council balked because homeowners would have nowhere to park.

“I’ve talked to a couple of the homeowners,” said Schlabach. They can’t park on Main Street and need spaces on Lafayette to be close to their homes.

According to Belez, every residence that faces Lafayette has a driveway homeowners can use.

Schlabach and Hinshaw said they support not allowing parking on the east side of Lafayette, but not on the west side.

The city will have to create a resolution, conduct a public hearing and have three readings before any parking changes will take place. “It’ll take two months to do this,” said Schlabach, “to make it happen.”