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Residents press council on traffic, parking and access as Kroger-area development progresses
Summary
Residents at the public comment period urged the council to address traffic flow, parking lot striping, lighting and ingress/egress around the Kroger shopping center and new developments; council members said the parking lot is private and recommended residents or businesses contact property owners or planning bodies.
During public comment at the Nov. 10 meeting, several residents raised concerns about traffic, access and safety tied to recent and proposed development around the Kroger shopping center, Bowen Center and a new car wash and fuel station.
Residents described congested conditions on nearby streets, poor lighting in the shopping-center lots and unclear striping that leads some drivers to use the lot as a cut-through. One resident asked who decides whether an exit would connect to US 24; council members explained that the Indiana Department of Transportation controls access to US 24 and that limited-access rules generally prevent new direct cuts onto the highway.
Council members and staff noted that the shopping-center parking lot is private property and that improvements such as striping, signage or repaving would generally be undertaken by the property owner. Council members suggested residents and business owners contact the property owner or developers; they also noted certain elements of site work require plan-commission or board-of-zoning-appeals approvals and engineer review for stormwater, sewage and drainage.
Speakers who addressed the council included a resident who identified himself only as Ron (1061 Albert Street), Titus Strayer (82 Michigan Street), and Jim Dixon (415 East Street). Council members said the city can encourage owners to make improvements but cannot force private property changes unless code or safety violations are identified and enforced.
Next steps: council staff said they would "look into that" and encouraged residents to raise concerns with property owners and the plan commission if development approvals are needed.
