I am certainly disappointed to learn that the Osceola Mayor and City Council, by majority vote, plan to widen the side walks and delete the center street parking on three sides of the Osceola town square.
I would like to commend Councilmen Dan Hooper and Douglas Gay for voting against doing that.
The center street parking leaves plenty of room to drive and allow for pick-ups pulling trailers, trucks, semi trailers in the center street parking. This is particularly valuable for loading and unloading merchandise for the businesses along the north, west and south sides of the square. We see many pickups pulling trailers parked in the center parking lane. I don’t know of any other place on the square where they can legally park.
It is difficult for me to believe that the center street parking creates any safety hazard. In fact, I believe it improves the safety. There is some talk of placing a stop sign(s) on the northwest corner and southwest corner of the square. That should take care of any safety concerns.
The center street parking is particularly beneficial for Rod and Val Clark who have a used furniture store on the north side of the square. It gives them a place to park a pickup pulling a trailer. I believe their business is a valuable benefit to our community. The Clark family provides two family members to our unpaid Volunteer Fire Department for which they should receive a big “thank you”, instead of taking away their parking.
It seems to us that the City Council members that originally created the center street parking made a very wise choice. Many people think that stifling truck and trailer parking around the square will drive some of the businesses off the square to outlying areas. That would diminish customers for the remaining businesses on the square.
If the present council proceeds to widen the sidewalks and do away with center parking, hopefully a future council will tear out the extended sidewalk area and reestablish center street parking.