Two parking areas in downtown Oxford closed to the public since June 13 will be reopened on a temporary basis ? one more temporary than the other.
Oxford Village’s Zoning Board of Appeals Monday night voted 4-1 to reopen the gravel-topped parking lot in the northwest quadrant from Aug. 1 until Dec. 31.
The ZBA also voted 4-1 to reopen the gravel lot in the southeast quadrant (the northeast corner of Mill and Stanton streets) for Aug. 3-4 to coincide with Celebrate Oxford.
The lot is to be closed off again Aug. 5.
‘We believe that it is in the best interests of the community to have them open during that special event,? said Carolyn Bennett, executive director of the Downtown Development Authority, who requested both temporary parking lots be reopened for a period of six months.
Six months is the maximum length of time that can be granted by the ZBA for the temporary parking use. An extension can be requested when the six months is up.
On June 13, village DPW workers used orange barrels and yellow roping to cordon off the two temporary gravel lots following a request for ordinance enforcement made by ZBA Chairman Jeff Ziegelbaur to the village council.
Back in March, the ZBA unanimously denied requests from the DDA to extend its approval of the temporary lots, which had previously expired. For the southeast lot, it was the third extension request since its installation. For the northwest lot, it was the first request.
Owned by the DDA, the southeast gravel lot was created in 2003 while the northwest gravel lot, with its approximately 28 spaces, was constructed just last year.
Plans to pave both temporary parking areas are in the works.
Council June 12 directed Manager Joe Young to close the lots until either construction of permanent paved parking is complete or a new request for temporary parking is approved by the ZBA.
On Monday, representatives from the DDA and the engineering firm Rowe Inc. updated the ZBA on the progress that’s been made regarding reconstruction of those lots into permanent paved parking.
ZBA officials were told a request for engineering proposals for reconstructing the northwest parking lot has been drafted and will be sent out ‘right after? Celebrate Oxford.
Engineering proposals are expected to be presented to the DDA board at its Aug. 20 meeting.
The DDA is planning to reconstruct the ‘entire? northwest parking lot including the temporary gravel area, existing paved portions and land containing a two-story, 4,300-square-foot house (19 W. Burdick).
The house was demolished Wednesday, July 25 (see story on page 1).
‘There are drainage issues and if we’re going to do it, we need to do it the right way and it needs to encompass the whole parking lot, not just 19 W. Burdick,? said DDA member Sue Bossardet.
By the time an engineer is hired, plans go through all the appropriate DDA and village boards, and construction bids are solicited and obtained, the actual work wouldn’t commence until next year.
‘Based on the time-line, this would be something that would not get constructed until next spring,? said Sue Bertram, a project engineer with Rowe, Inc.
However, Bossardet told the ZBA it was fellow DDA member Dave Weckle’s opinion the project could be done by late fall ‘if we really light fires under ourselves.?
Plans are also moving forward in downtown’s southeast quadrant, where the DDA plans to spend $770,000 reconstructing, reconfiguring and expanding the parking lot.
The total number of spaces is expected to increase from 138 to 160, which includes seven on-street spaces along Stanton Street (assuming it becomes a one-way street as planned) and eight on-street parking spaces along E. Burdick.
ZBA members were informed Monday night that site plan approval was granted by the village planning commission June 19 subject to plans concerning pedestrian circulation, traffic circulation, lighting and landscaping being reviewed and approved by commissioners.
Those plans are expected to be presented at the planning commission’s Aug. 21 meeting, according to Bertram.
‘Provided there are no major changes,? Bertram said construction should begin in the fall and be done in three phases.
‘We can’t tear up the whole parking lot at once,? she said.
Bertram expects one or two of those phases to be completed in the fall and the remainder done next spring.
Opinions on granting the DDA’s request to reopen the southeast temporary lot for six months varied. ‘Other than for Celebrate Oxford, I want to see that lot closed,? said Dennis Moser, of 48 E. Burdick St., who noted that he and other neighbors originally supported the temporary lot because ‘downtown needs the parking.?
But that support has dwindled as plans to redo the southeast lot have dragged on and on over the years. ‘It’s gotten to the point where they’ve actually abused the good will of the neighbors,? Moser said. ‘That’s gone far enough. If it was on your corner, you wouldn’t want to look at it. We’ve looked at it for five years.?
Les Thomas, who owns four buildings in the southeast quadrant, supported reopening the temporary lot now that the DDA appears to have its ‘act together.?
‘It sounds like we’re very, very close and it would just seem a pity to penalize the business owners in that area when we’re so very close,? he said.
Weckle stressed the importance of those temporary lot spaces.
‘I will agree that we don’t need them everyday, but there are times when those are very necessary,? he said. ‘If we didn’t have the good neighbor of the Oxford Bank, it would be much more evident how necessary those spaces are.?
Ultimately, the ZBA decided to open the lot just for Celebrate Oxford, then close it down again.