07/25/77 Board of Public Works Minutes

Home Browse Search

Rio REGULAR MEETING JULY 25, 1977 that the Board deny the vacatiom.-`petition.or delay it until there is compliance with any conditions established for screening. Mr. Ludwick, President of the Park Avenue Neighborhood Association, said that for eight years the association has attempted to get the hospital to put in proper screening of their parking lots. Mr. McMahon said the ordinance requires screening where there are residences directly across from the parking areas and asked whether there were houses on Navarre. Mr. Ludwick said there were not. Mr. John Horan, 304 W. Navarre, said that Mrs. Frank lives in the house back of the office at the corner of Navarre and Lafayette. Mr. Hammerschmidt pointed out that this is commercial property. -Mr. Horan said lights from cars in the parking area on Navarre shine into his house. Mrs. Sponholz and Mrs. Pepple both advised the Board that they consider the parking areas an eyesore. Mr. Brunner noted that there is no legal requirement that the hospital screen areas which do not face residences and pointed out that the hospital did screen on Lafayette. The issue now becomes whether they should screen on Navarre and Bartlett. He said it would appear that the character.of the neighborhood is private residential. He then asked hospital spokesmen if they planned to screen on Navarre and Bartlett. Mr. Hammerschmidt said they did not plan to screen on those streets for reasons of safety and the protection of female employees, particu- larly those who work the night shift and have to go to the parking area when they leave work. These employees object to screening because -It--provides a hiding place for individuals in those lots at night. The hospital felt they could live with screening on Lafayette and with guardrails on Navarre and Bartlett. Mr. Brunner said screening two or three feet high would not present a security problem and suggested that shrubbery at a low height would eliminate the guardrails to which the residents object. Mr. Hammerschmidt suggested that the residents object to seeing the automobiles in the lots and said a low guardrail was being considered. Mr. Ludwick said the screen- ing should be as high as the headlights on automobiles. Mr. McMahon asked the hospital representatives if they would consider screening on Navarre and Bartlett as a consideration of this vacation. He said it is the feeling of the Board that some type of screening would be consistent with protecting the residential quality of the neighbor- hood. Mr. Mullen asked why the hospital had considered a guard rail instead of shrubbery. Mr. Trenkner said bushes are hard to maintain: Automobiles can hit them and they have to be replaced. The cost of the shrubbery is one reason they have considered guardrails. He said they could put wheel stops along the perimeter of the area without trying to maintain hedges. Mr. Trenkner pointed out that this is a community hospital and they do not have unlimited funds at their disposal. They are trying to go with the method which is most economical. Mr. Ludwick suggested that they consider the type of fence and screening used for the doctor's parking lot on Main Street. Per. Trenkner pointed that this is a different type of area and the fence is for retaining purposes. Marchmont Kovas, South Bend Tribune, asked if they could give the number of persons mugged or attacked at night in the parking areas. Mr. Hammerschmidt said he did not know the number but said there have been incidents and the hospital is concerned for the female employees. Mr. Brunner pointed out that if the residential character of the neighborhood is changed, this would have a direct effect on crime in the area, which would undoubtedly increase. He said both the residents of the neighborhood and Memorial Hospital have a vested interest in seeing the character of the neighborhood maintained. Mr. Trenkner said the hospital has improved the neighborhood by removing some boarding houses that were in bad condition and they intend to continue improving the area. He noted that they had made arrangements with Rieth Riley to begin the paving work but had no control over the strike which delayed the start of the work. He said they have every intention of completing the work on the parking areas and doing it right. Mr. Hammerschmidt pointed out that the work can be completed as soon as the vacation of the alleys has been accomplished. Mr. Brunner suggested that screening of some sort should be made a condition of the vacation and