We downtown business owners and employees are in favor of new development and greater density downtown. However, parking availability is a problem. We need an ordinance to protect the downtown parking we currently have. Any new development should be required to supply what they need for employees, customers and tenants. As business people of Downtown Platteville, our livelihood depends not only on the customers that frequent our storefronts, but equally so on our community’s support in allowing the local economy to flourish.
In January, senior civil engineering students at UW–Platteville were charged with a research project including interviews and surveys from a relatively small selection of local customers and employees, as well as a traffic and parking analysis of the downtown area. Local business owners were not only unaware of this project, but were not invited to attend the final presentation of this project May 2. A public report was issued after the fact; however, it portrays inaccurate statistics regarding the parking situation downtown.
In reality, there is a major parking deficit outlined in the Platteville Downtown Revitalization Plan, adopted in January 2011, which is available for public viewing on the city’s website, www.platteville.org/Portals/31/2008/
Community%20P%20&%20D%20Dept/Planning%20&%20Zoning/Platteville%20Downtown%20Revitalization%20Plan_Adopted%202011_1_11.pdf.
A recent public survey was to be distributed along with city water bills in order to ascertain further information about the current parking situation, but the new project was shut down in favor of using the information provided in the student analysis project. The scrapped survey would have offered an unbiased, complete public opinion on the matter, as well as allow for individual comments and remarks. The most important aspect of this public survey is that it would include the entire public in the important decision-making process that is so vital to our community.
We business people of the downtown area would like to see our currently available parking protected as well as require any future downtown development to supply adequate parking for public needs. We would like to see the community’s opinions on this and suggest that the survey continue as it was scheduled. We believe this is a serious issue and would like to see the proper time and attention applied to it, and proceed with the input of business owners, customers and residents of Platteville.
Kathy Austin and Amber Podstawa, Cuttin’ Up; Tom Sherry, Anchor Bank; Stacy Beau, Hartig Drug; Tim Koeller, Platteville Cleaners; Kevin Garvey, Garvey Service; Marjorie and David Spensley, Tomi Gill, Carrie Oppelt, Julie Allen, Dorothy Drury, Ann Kettler and Hayley Kemnitzer, Bridal Boutique; Darby Kruser, Ripple Management; Claudia Baus, Rebecca Sigwarth, Lori Erschen-Bahr, Glen Bahr and Jill Day, Erschen’s Florist; Jerry Schewe, Quiznos; Morgan Baxter, Suntan City; Jacob Withrow, Red n Debs; Jeremy Fenne, Brothers; Kimberly Burdt, Downtown Employee; Olga Miller, Home and Cabin Décor; Andrea Caley, Nicole Richards, Ronna Argall and Sarah Heideman, Downtown Designs; Wes Richards, Faherty, Inc.; Charity Baxter, American Roots; Chris Justmann, Helker Jewelry; Kathleen Kluth, Kathie’s Gifts; Lori Reddy, Change of Season’s; Jayne Dunnum, Robin Timm, Heidi Dyas-McBeth, Bill McBeth and Anne Donovan, Driftless Market; Scott Morrissey, Morrissey Printing; Tom Kratochwill, Vernam McKerman and Kay Bennett, American Family Insurance Tom Kratochwill; Erik Rohner, Downtown Resident; Steve Millage, Bad Cat Tattoo; Rachel Deneen, Downtown Employee; Jessica Allion, MaCandis; Terry Lyght and Brett Redfearn, Bullseye Sports; Heath Hartwig, Tri-County Title; Christopher Geyer, Netux Solutions; Wendy Ihm, Downtown Business Person; Carlos and Carolina Vasquez, Los Amigos; Teri Spink, Today’s Trends Salon; William Goldthorpe, USPS; Deb Eastlick, Deb’s Fashions to Fit; Zach Eichsteadt, School Girls; Kim Hill, Char Bar; Peggy Banfield, Owl City; Tina Lynch, VFW; Tim Durst, Blue Note Music; Al Weigel, Al’s Auto Service; Don Wilson, Precision Auto; Marge Curran, Beauty Boutique; Gary Osterholz, Eastman Cartwright; Tom Heiser, Kyle Fatzinger and Kassi Nadig, Heiser Hardware; Linda Osterholz, Jane Wunderlin and Julie McCoy, Anchor Bank employee; Kip Schreck, Applied Micro; Lynn Conlon, Cable Car Travel; Sheila Stuart Kelly, Nathaniel W. Curry, Michael J. Olds, Kim Skemp and Thomas H. Geyer, Kopp, McKichan, LLP; Jason Fowell, Milio’s Sandwiches; Judy Grimes, Chicago’s Best; Brian and Donna Kohn, Kohn’s Auto Body; Eric Cleveland, Eric Cleveland Insurance Agency; George Curry, Curry Law; Ken Cullen, Cullen Auto Repair; Jeff Richard, Richard Financial; Jane Meekma, Jayne’s Family Hair Care; Elaine Shanley, Country Clippers; Dee Anderson, Office Supply Co.; Isaac Shanley, Shanley Properties, LLC; Julie Klein, downtown employee; Karen Geyer, downtown employee
