Featured image: A look at the construction progress of Batesville’s Main Street Bike and Pedestrian project, Sept. 26. 2o24.
Article by Emily Wang, White River Now
At Tuesday’s city council meeting, Batesville Parks and Recreation Director Jeff Owens provided an update on the construction for the Main Street Bike and Pedestrian project, noting electrical work is moving forward.
Despite being ahead of schedule, with a projected completion date of October, the project continues to present challenges to some downtown residents. (For digital renderings of the project and more information on the path, click here.)
Mayor Rick Elumbaugh acknowledged the project’s difficulties.
“From the very beginning, we knew this would be a challenging project,” Elumbaugh said. “We’re working with a community over 200 years old, and the old infrastructure makes it tough.”
During the meeting, Batesville resident Betty Barnett raised concerns about the project’s impacts on her property and other nearby residences. Barnett presented street images and Google photos of her home and other properties on Main Street, highlighting issues related to parking and accessibility.
“I know there are challenges, but we have serious concerns,” Barnett said, pointing out that her home and others on the block heavily rely on street parking, which the path’s construction has disrupted. She noted that parking is essential for guests, package deliveries, and those with disabilities.
Barnett and other residents discussed the possibility of adding parking pads to help alleviate the issues caused by the new project, which has been done to another property. The suggested parking pads would provide designated areas for vehicles to pull off the road, improving traffic flow and reducing congestion on the now one-lane street.
“It’s not a perfect solution, but it could solve a lot of problems,” she said.
Owens responded by stating that a design for parking pads between 10th and 11th Street has been developed and will be sent to contractors for cost estimates. He added that the timeline for addressing this concern remains uncertain, but would likely be within the given estimation of two to four weeks.
The council also addressed concerns related to fire department access, with Barnett questioning whether the narrowed street could accommodate emergency vehicles in reference to only having one lane. Elumbaugh reassured the community that fire trucks would be able to jump the curb if necessary, with Owens clarifying though the curb looks tall now, after project completion, they will be four inches in height.
The mayor expressed empathy for the residents’ hardships and apologized for the inconvenience caused by the ongoing work.
“I sincerely apologize. It hasn’t been easy,” the mayor said, adding that once the project is completed, residents should see improvements in safety, lighting, and accessibility.
Elumbaugh also highlighted the city’s commitment to the quality of the finished Main Street project, saying just as the city promised to maintain the community center, the downtown project will also look good and be maintained in the end.
The new bike and pedestrian lane will occupy what was the former right lane of Main Street, beginning at the Bank of Cave City at 12th and Main streets. The lane will continue down Main Street and stop at 5th Street.
New benches, trees, light poles, and the type of brick to be used have all been strategically chosen to blend seamlessly into the surrounding area on Main Street, according to city officials. The project, which will be a portion of the Batesville Greenway System, is part of the Batesville Bicycle and Pedestrian Master Plan, which is meant to enhance transportation alternatives.
In other business, the council adopted a resolution for the sale of the original “food lot” located at 2011 S. Central Ave. as part of the ‘Moving the City Forward Initiative.’
The resolution states that a coming business will bring an estimated 75 employees to the downtown area and will complement the current and future restaurants and stores.
“We have one of our major industries here, and I don’t want to give everything away, but they have purchased that area,” he said. “They have purchased this block, and it’s going to bring, hopefully, about 75 employees to the downtown area.”
The next city council meeting is scheduled for Oct. 15.
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