Guenard addresses Gile parking ordinance concerns

By TOM LAVENTURE

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MONTREAL, Wis. - A one-side parking ordinance on the main street of Gile has some business owners wondering why it is needed.

The Montreal City Council added the rule last winter due to snow removal concerns on what is considered a narrow street in winter, Mayor Erik Guenard told the Daily Globe Thursday. Visibility issues for pedestrian safety were also a concern, he said.

"The council brought together the ordinance so there would be enough room for emergency vehicles," Guenard said. "We decided to keep the ordinance in place all year to ensure pedestrian safety as an option."

A series of signs saying "No Parking Between Signs" are posted on the west side of the length of Nimikon Avenue, from Kokogan Street coming into downtown Gile, to Park Road at the Gile Flowage.

There was communication with the business community on the street, Guenard said. There hadn't been any concerns brought forward until one resident spoke up at a recent council meeting, and all concerns of the businesses will be heard, he said.

"That was the first I heard from anyone," Guenard said.

Jay Hengtgen, owner of Burgers Bar and Grill, at 7 Nimikon Ave., said he has been in business for six years and he never saw that there was a problem to fix.

Hengtgen said he can't recall that the business owners were notified in writing before the ordinance was passed, he said. The businesses would have expressed their concerns on the matter, he said.

"Nobody follows it (the ordinance)," Hengtgen said. "Both side street are full."

Derik Van Epern, owner of Annie's Pub at 13 Nimikon Ave., also questioned the need for the ordinance. There are sidewalks on both sides of the avenue, and the ordinance is forcing customer to park on side streets that are narrower in width and also in residential areas.

"There was never a problem," Van Epern said. "The only place in town with no parking signs on the street is in front of the only businesses in town."

During winter nobody parks on the street when the plows come through early morning, he said. The snow banks are pushed back far enough that the street width is not an issue, he said.

"There is a lack of adequate parking around here and the city wants us to park on the smaller side streets," he said. "The customers don't want to walk further than they have to, and if they have to walk around the block they are not going to stop showing up."

The Full Throttle Saloon at 6 Nimikon Ave., is on the west side of the avenue where the parking ban is in effect. The business does have a parking lot but the owner, who could not be reached for comment Thursday.

Montreal weight restrictions

At its June 11 meeting, the Montreal City Council discussed the road conditions in the city, especially during the spring thaw. Guenard said that its possible that the amount of heavy vehicle traffic on the roads may be partly responsible for the poor road conditions when they are most susceptible to damage in the spring, he said.

A weight distribution ordinance is being considered, he said. The first step is to review state of Wisconsin information for city and township street ordinances regarding vehicle weights and traffic volume to guide with a recommendation for how to place weight reductions if necessary, he said.

"This is an ongoing discussion," Guenard said. "There has been no action taken yet."

The goal is to determine if weight restrictions are necessary and which areas would be excluded from the ordinance if possible to accommodate that heavy vehicle traffic, he said.

"We would be talking about next May, during the spring time and the thaw cycle," Guenard said.