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Bellefontaine resident asks council to make Maple Avenue one-way after repeated parking, sight-line hazards
Summary
Resident Barry Clayton told the council that narrow lanes, curbside parking and a large sycamore tree create sight-line and safety hazards on Maple Avenue and asked the city to study converting it to a one-way street; Service Safety Director mister Dodd asked council to refer the issue to committee for further review.
Barry Clayton, a resident at 121 Mabel Street, urged the Bellefontaine City Council to convert Maple Avenue (the block beside Wendy’s) to a one-way street to reduce safety hazards caused by curbside parking and limited sight lines.
“This is getting bad enough there that we can't get cars to go past because we are parking on the sidewalks,” Clayton said during the communications-from-citizens portion of the meeting, adding that drivers are forced onto curbs and sidewalks and delivery trucks complicate access. He described a large sycamore tree that obscures visibility at the intersection and said neighbors and nearby business managers have expressed support for a one-way conversion.
The concern was raised earlier in the administrative reports by Service Safety Director mister Dodd, who told council that staff had received resident requests about two narrow, two-way streets and suggested referring the matter to the appropriate committee for study and recommendations. Dodd asked the president to refer the issue so the city could hold a committee meeting and work with residents and affected businesses.
Council did not take an immediate vote on changing signage or traffic patterns at the meeting. The council's procedures and multiple committee chairs present indicate the next step will be committee review, where staff traffic assessments and possible mitigations (signing, sight-line removal, or one-way conversion) can be considered.
Clayton asked council members to visit the block and view the sight-line problems in person, saying the safety risk included potential personal injury and repeated vehicle damage. He noted one practical concern raised by businesses: a vendor with a 53-foot delivery trailer that needs to exit back onto Main Street. Clayton said he believes the town can work around specific delivery logistics if a one-way conversion proceeds.
The council has referred the neighborhood safety concern for committee consideration; no ordinance or traffic order was introduced or adopted at this meeting. The item is expected to return to council after staff and committee review.
