05/18/1981 Board of Public Works Minutes

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REGULAR MEETING MAY 18, 1981 The regular meeting of the Board of Public Works was convened at 9:35 a.m., on Monday, May 18, 1981, by President John E. Leszczynski, with Mr. Leszczynski, Mr. Richard L. Hill and Mr. Joseph E. Kernan present. MINUTES OF PREVIOUS MEETING APPROVED Upon a motion made by Mr. Hill, seconded by Mr. Leszczynski and carried, the minutes of the regular meeting of May 11, 1981, were approved as submitted. ACCEPTANCE OF DEED FROM FBT.BANCORP, INC. (MORRIS CIVIC AUDITORIUM PARK SPACE) Mr. Leszczynski stated that, at the May 11th Board meeting, the -city had transferred ownership of the Morris Civic Auditorium Park Space, being Disposition Parcel No. 2 -13, Ind. R -66, to FBT Bancorp, Inc., for the sum of $39,958.00. He stated that at this time, FBT was quit- claiming the property back to the city for use as open space or park land. Upon a motion made by Mr. Hill, seconded by Mr. Kernan and carried, the deed was accepted. APPROVE ERECTION OF EMERGENCY DIRECTIONAL SIGNS IN TREE LAWN AREA (MEMORIAL HOSPITAL) Mr. Leszczynski stated that, at the May 11th Board meeting, representa- tives of Memorial Hospital and North American Signs had appeared before the Board concerning the hospital's request to install emergency directional signage in the tree lawn area around the hospital. He advised that the Board members had made an inspection of the areas in which the signs were proposed, and he asked if there were any comments from anyone in the audience. Mr. Peter Brockhaus, Vice - President of Memorial Hospital, thanked the Board for coming out to the site and for taking the time to review the materials submitted by the hospital in support of the signage. He assured the city that, since its major concern dealt with the liability problem, the hospital would assume all liability for the location of the signs in the tree lawn areas and would include the City.of South Bend as an additional insured under the policy. He referred to the request made last year by the hospital for permission to construct a bus shelter in the tree lawn area near the hospital. He advised that that request had been approved by the Board; however, the hospital had not gone ahead with the bus shelter because it felt the signage was more important and dealt with public safety rather than public convenience as the bus shelter would have done. Mr. Noel Yarger, President of North American Signs, stated that he understood the reasoning in holding back on the.erection of numerous signs because of the confusion caused to motorists; however, he stated that it has been carefully demonstrated that public safety in this instance would definitely be served by using the area for the emergency directional signage. He stated that he appreciated the Board's concern over setting a precedent by allowing the signs in the tree lawn area; but he asked that the Board consider this request and any future cases on their own merits. He stated that the Board had the capacity to make individual judgments on similar requests if brought before the Board. Mr. Hill asked how many of the signs would refer to the emergency room, and Mr. Brockhaus stated that all three signs would refer to the emergency area. Mr. Leszczynski stated that about 90% of the wording on all the signs referred to information such as visitor parking, main hospital entrance. Mr. Yarger stated that the wording pertaining to the emergency room was the overriding factor and was very important. Mr. Brockhaus explained that the main emphasis was the direction of persons to the emergency area; however, there was also a need to identify the visitor parking and other functions of the hospital. Mr. Kernan thanked the hospital representatives for their assistance in providing the Board with the information it had requested concerning the signs. He stated that he had given some thought to the location of only one sign on Navarre and Michigan which would refer to the emergency room only. He felt