Northside will see parking restrictions

To make picking up and dropping off children at the Northside Elementary School safer and easier, the City of Benson will be expanding the no parking area in front of the building as well as across the street.
Though the curb in front of the school is painted yellow, indicating that it is a no parking area, Chief of Police Ian Hodge to the city council Monday night that people would often leave their vehicles there for extended periods. Some people leave their cars for the day while others might be parked for 15 or 20 minutes.
When cars are parked across the street from the school, and others stopped for extended periods in front of it, it makes the lanes of traffic even more narrow and congested. It is a problem that is especially challenging in the morning hours when people seem to be in more of a rush, Hodge told the council.
He proposed that signs be installed along the front of the Northside school indicating it is a no parking zone. Further, he also recommended that the south side of Nevada Avenue be posted as a 10 minute parking only zone between 18th and 19th streets.
Hodge and Supt. Dennis Laumeyer agreed that it would be an education process to get people to follow the new parking rules. Hodge plans on having the school resource officer available next fall when the new parking rules go in effect to remind drivers to obey those rules.
The council unanimously approved the installation of the new parking signs.
City building remodeling & stop signs
Benson’s council reviewed an extensive remodeling plan of its 1940s administrative building to make it handicapped accessible as well as address significant structural problems. However, remodeling is more expensive than building new.
It is estimated that remodeling would cost $1.721 million while building a new structure would cost $1.633 million.
A more in-depth story on the proposals will be in next week’s Monitor-News.
The council also voted 3 to 2 to implement a comprehensive 11-year-old traffic plan for the installation of stop signs around the community, both to improve safety and make traffic flow more smoothly. Mayor Gary Landmark and Council Member Collins voted against it, while Council Members Jack Evenson, Stephanie Heinzig and Jonathon Pogge-Weaver voted for it.
The Monitor-News will have more on this story next week as well.
 
To continue following these and other important stories, subscribe to the Swift County Monitor-News print edition or our PDF internet edition. Call 320-843-4111 and you can get all the local news and sports delivered to you!