By Dave Fidlin
Correspondent
After nearly a month of not seeing any renewed progress, Whitewater officials dusted off an issue that has drawn complaints in the community — the condition of the municipal parking lots.
The lots were subject to an extensive resurfacing project this summer as a part of Whitewater’s broader capital improvement plan. Months after the work was completed, portions of the new lot remained detached, as evidenced by loose stone.
Portions of the lots have also been uneven — a point that has been raised by persons with disabilities and pedestrians who use such devices as baby strollers.
In November, the Common Council put Chuck Nass, head of the city’s streets, parks and forestry department, in the hot seat. Loose gravel, he said, is customary for resurfaced lots, and the materials does eventually settle as vehicles drive over the new streets.
The parking lots, Nass said, will require more time to settle than a street because fewer vehicles drive within lots than traditional roadways. Officials were hoping the lots would have settled as winter set in, but conditions remained unsavory as the council revisited the issue Dec. 6.
“While some areas within a select number of the downtown lots have set, large areas with uneven, loose stone remain,” City Manager Cameron Clapper said.
Clapper added, “The uneven surface and the loose stone continue to cause concern for business owners and customers who park in these areas, especially those individuals with mobility challenges.”
After a robust debate, the council agreed to a temporary measure, calling for an intensive sweeping of all lots. Although the strategy will not necessarily result in even surfaces, it is designed to eradicate the prevalence of loose stones.
Plans call for revisiting the lots’ conditions in the spring. If conditions remain a concern, the city could hire a contractor to mill down the lots and completely repave them.
Council member Stephanie Goettl, who has been a critic of the lots’ conditions, expressed continued frustration at the recent meeting.
“The first time I expressed concerns, long before winter, I was met with resistance,” she said.
