Parking ban to establish bike trail gets critiqued at February 21 public hearing

The point of a public hearing, is to hear from the public—whether or not that hearing is particularly favorable to the object of the input.

“There has to be public input,”third ward alderman Jacob Huff said of the path proposed to run from Chapman Park to the school area that would seek a street parking ban along the route.

"I'm not just going to vote on it." With that in mind, those from the public who may have been in support of a bike path, were lacking in attendance at the February 21 public hearing at the Stanley Fire Hall prior to regular council—and that meant those against the parking ban that would be needed to establish said path had the floor, af – ter the bike path organizers first had a chance to speak.

Present for the pro-bike path side were Ben Isenberger of the Lions, along with Steve Millen and Lance Weiland. Not present for the hearing was Jim Jones, who had reportedly hauled his bike down to Arizona on a recreation- al excursion. Lion Isenberger laid out the basic idea as presented before at the January 17 council meeting by himself and Jones.

“What we want to do is develop a bike trail that we can actually do more with once we have it established" Is enberger shared of the basic idea for a trail through the city. "We're hoping for more grant money once we have a trail,” he said. Whereas there were grants for adding to or fixing a trail, the grants for establishing one, were comparatively few—hence the effort underway. To be a true bike trail certain things were needed, Isenberger said. "In order for it to be considered a trail, it has to be designated as a bike trail. So we want to put lines on one side of the road,” he said. The prospective trail would be on the right side of the road consistent with traffic flow and require a parking ban along the south and west sides Eighth, Park, and Sixth Avenues, these roads said by trail advocates to be among the least traveled in the city.

“That was more strategic than any- thing," Stanley resident Lance Weiland said of the trail route. “Because with the exception of Eighth those are the least traveled routes in the city. We're trying to have the least amount of impact on traffic that we can." Millen chipped in as well.

"This isn't just exclusive to bicy cles,” he said. “This could be for walking or non-motorized transit as well.”

Conceived by the Stanley Lions Club as the start of a more comprehensive loop trail system throughout the City, the first trail segment would run from Chapman Park on O due north to Eighth Avenue, before turning onto Eighth and traversing the city to the intersection of Sixth Avenue and Jefferson Street, thence behind the Grant Street Apartments and to McKenzie Street by the school then around the back to Oriole Park.

“Sixth Avenue goes behind Grant,” Isenberger said of the trail extension into currently undeveloped territory. "We'll have to do some excavating there," he said. Local resident Don Gadke, meanwhile, was among those who shared his thoughts on the parking ban that the trail route would require to get started.

“Well ok, this is all good now,” Gad- ke said. "You're affecting other people on this route too. Where are they supposed to park? Even with just one side of the street closed off there were concerns for mailboxes and the need for people on the other side of the street “We have a real good sidewalk system in town," he said. "Why don't we use the sidewalk?” Gadke asked. “Roads are made for driving.” As to the sidewalks question, second ward alderman Kevin Hendrickson had an answer for Gadke.

"Our current ordinance doesn't allow for bikes on sidewalks,” Hendrickson shared, saying in turn that he wasn't against the closure of streets for the path that would pass directly in front of his house on Park Avenue. Following up Gadke, east side resident Joyce McManus shared concerns that riders might think to cut through her yard on McKenzie Street, with the possibility of signage raised as a way to address the potential issue of cutting through yards.

Regarding the ‘no bikes on side- walks' rule and its bearing on a bike path, Millen shared the difficulty as a father of finding a place for teaching PUBLIC HEARING

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kids to ride a bike. With the sidewalk off limits per ordinance, the trail was a way for parents like himself to teach kids how to bike. As to just when the no, bikes, boards, or blades rule had first taken effect with regard to sidewalks in the city, that wasn't exactly clear.

"It's something I'd have to look into," city clerk-treasurer Nicole Thiel said when contacted by phone at City Hall. Back at the February 21 public hearing, Millen, Weiland, and Isenberger all acknowledged the need for compromise to make the bike trail idea work, including a daytime parking ban while the trail would be in use that could later be lifted at night and in wintertime.

“So during the winter people could park there, right?” third ward alderman Jacob Huff asked.

"I would think when the winter park ing ban goes into effect,” Weiland said of parking in the daytime when the seasonal overnight restrictions go into effect for snow clearing reasons, from mid-November through April 1. Taken generally, those against the closing of affected streets to parking for the trail, were better represented in numbers than those who were or had no opinion.

"Is there anyone here who's in favor of the plan?” fellow second ward alderman Jason Meyer asked as city clerk Nicole Thiel was the only one to raise her hand in the room with double digit attendance counting council and public. “Because the things I've heard are strong negative," Meyer shared.

Facing strong headwinds on streets being closed off to parking, no action was taken by the Council on the bike path at the February 21 Council meeting which followed the public hearing.

No decisions were taken by the city, during or after the public hearing February 21.

"There hasn't been any decision," city clerk/treasurer Nicole Thiel confirmed this Monday of the path in question.

The Lions as being behind the trail con cept, were waiting on the city.

“At this point as far as a committee we're just waiting to see what the city does," Lions President Jim Jones said via telephone for what plans were moving forward on the project in light of the public hearing.

For those who might still be hopeful and interested, a fuller concept of the trail network can be found at https://stanleytrail. com.

Mark Fitzsimmons of Chippewa Valley Energy and Stanley Lion Ben Isenberger hold a $5,000 donation check in front of woods that would be cleared for a bike trail, the funds being used towards the $14,000 estimated cost of clearinh a path through the woods. A necessary parking ban for the trail ran into opposition at a public hearing February 21 and the trail’s future as such is uncertain. Photo by Joseph Back.