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Genola council hears plea to protect park parking after semi crushes parked minivan
Summary
After an empty semi from a nearby gravel pit ran wide and crushed a parked minivan at the southeast corner of the park on July 15, the Genola City Council discussed installing bollards, pylons or guardrails and other traffic-calming measures to protect people and the veterans monument.
A parked minivan was crushed when an empty semi-truck ran wide at the southeast corner of the Genola park on July 15, and the city council on [meeting date not specified] spent substantial time weighing physical changes to protect parking stalls, the veterans monument and park users.
Councilman Hazlin reviewed photos of the crash and said the minivan was parked and stationary when the truck hit it, ‘‘so if this had been occupied by a child, it would have been pretty bad.’’ Vehicle owner Justin Zoner told the council the vehicle was totaled and that he had received no compensation: ‘‘They say they want to be helpful, but there's nothing that's been done to compensate us for what happened.’’ He said the crash occurred about 1:30 p.m. on July 15 and that there were people in the park at the time.
Hazlin presented drawings showing the truck’s path and proposed protecting the parking stalls with vertical six-inch pipe set in concrete, concrete pylons, or a guardrail so that the spaces could remain in use while being shielded from large turns. Councilmembers suggested alternatives including narrowing the corner to naturally deter wide turns, temporary movable concrete barriers, and relocating or redesigning specific curb lines.
Mayor and council members explained legal limits on restricting truck traffic, saying state law and county approvals of the CMC gravel pit limit the town’s ability to bar certain trucks from public roads. The mayor said the town can require trucks to use a designated route once that route exists, but noted the planned 350 East road is not yet completed and current state rules make truck restrictions difficult.
The council asked public works staff to inspect the site and evaluate options. ‘‘Go look at it in person,’’ one member said, urging on-site review to generate more ideas. The council did not take a formal vote to remove parking stalls or install devices at the meeting; members discussed directing staff to return with cost, design, and safety assessments.
The discussion followed public concern that truck traffic has increased since the nearby pit began hauling material, and council members said they have pursued legal and administrative options without success. Next steps are a site inspection by staff and further evaluation of physical protections and whether temporary measures could be installed quickly.
