City Council votes on construction plan

By Sharon Wittke

The Carbondale City Council voted to adopt a resolution approving the plan for the fourth phase of construction at the Parkview Apartments during its regular meeting Tuesday.

Councilman Don Monty said the construction at Parkview Apartments was a positive trend. The trailer park that had been there was fast and economical housing during the city’s rapid growth period in the 1950s and 1960s, but replacing it with the apartment complex was beneficial for the community, he said

In 1996, the City Council approved an ordinance to rezone property at 905 East Park St., from neighborhood business and planned mobile home use to planned unit development, or apartment use.

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“I think that’s quite an improvement and I thank the developer for going forward with this project,” Monty said.

Councilman Lee Fronabarger asked if the recreation area at Parkview Apartments which was originally planned for installation after the first phase of construction had been completed.

Chris Wallace, the city’s senior planner, said the recreation area was still a vacant lot, with no real structures yet, and that the brush on the lot would be cleaned up within 30 days.

The vote to approve the resolution was 6-0. Councilwoman Corene McDaniel had been excused from the meeting to attend Red Cross Training.

Comments from citizens were heard by the council members.

Carbondale resident Barry Spehn said he thought the city should install a stop sign at the entrance of the mobile home park at 500 Charles Rd.

Mayor Joel Fritzler said the mobile home park driveway was private property and the city could not legally place a stop sign there, but the city could request the property owner install a stop sign for the safety of the park’s residents.

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Carbondale resident Lorie Allen said she lived .2 miles west of a garage that shouldn’t be there, referring to the Oakland Auto Repair Shop, which opened in December 2011. The repair shop was erroneously issued a business permit in August by the city in an area that is not zoned for auto repair businesses.

Allen said there was graffiti on the building, as well.

Fritzler said the city was working to help the auto shop owner relocate his business and the city would look

into the graffiti problem.

Councilwoman Jane Adams said the city should move expeditiously on the matter.

“I think it’s very important that the operator of the auto repair shop find another place to rent,” she said.

She said it wasn’t the owner’s fault the permit error had been made, but moving soon makes sense so he wouldn’t be too settled in his current location.

“I know it’s a tremendous irritant to the neighbors,” Adams said.

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