Swisher council weighs leasing CRANDIC lot for downtown parking amid budget constraints

The Swisher City Council on Nov. 11 reviewed a proposal to lease a CRANDIC-owned lot downtown to create up to 55 new parking spaces, a move supporters say would help local businesses but which council members said must be balanced against the city's tight budget.

The project engineer presented a conceptual layout, saying the lot could provide 55 spaces, meet green-space and handicap-access requirements, include minimal lighting and be built with either gravel or a chip-seal surface. The engineer offered a ‘‘conceptual estimate' that includes contingency and engineering; he added a five-year maintenance estimate meant to show total cost over time.

Why it matters: downtown merchants told the council lack of parking is hurting daily business; councilors said the timing matters because the city must decide whether to budget funds in the January budget cycle or repurpose leftover bond funds from a past Division Street project.

The engineer said the conceptual construction cost for the initial phase (with contingency and engineering) would be modest compared with a full build, and that a five-year maintenance estimate in the discussion totaled about $177,300 in current dollars if the city paved and maintained the full lot. He also warned that drainage grading would be required and that chip-seal might have to be removed if a future owner requires a different surface.

Council members debated lease length. One councilor noted that a five-year lease might protect the city's near-term interests, while others suggested a longer term (10 years) would better justify more extensive paving. The engineer said the railroad (CRANDIC) indicated a five-year term but could be asked to extend it and that phased construction (e.g., 15'30 spaces first) was feasible.

Business owners and local operators, relayed during the meeting, urged prompt action. The engineer told the council that Kevin Turka, owner of Festar, asked the city to "open the gates" and volunteered grading help to accelerate use of the lot.

Council members said they were open to the project but that the city's budget process determines timing. "We can talk about this during the budget and try to budget for it for next year," one member said, stressing that projects typically move from quotes to construction in June with contractor payments beginning in July.

Next steps: councilors directed staff to gather additional cost and lease-term information, ask CRANDIC whether chip-seal would be treated as 'gravel' for the restoration clause, and include parking options on the January budgeting agenda. The council also voted to refer the question of repurposing leftover Division Street bond funds to the city's bonding attorney for advice on whether bond proceeds could cover a parking-phase allocation.