BY PHIL CUSTODIO
Clarkston News Editor
The city Parking Committee and Clarkston Community Schools are working together to provide about 140 more parking spaces for downtown patrons.
The plan includes opening up the back parking lot at Renaissance High School to public parking, Fridays and Saturdays from 5-10 p.m., starting Sept. 29.
“As a school district, we saw a need for parking, identified resources that we have that can help, and partnered with others to put a solution in place. Hence, our community is a better place to live, serve, do business, and learn,” said Superintendent Dr. Rod Rock. “One of the unique things about Clarkston is we have a community school district that is highly integrated with and connected to the community.”
Parking will be available in the school’s back lot by Church Street, as well as along the side of the school.
A CCS school bus will provide shuttle service, running in a continuous loop from Renaissance High School, down E. Church Street to Depot Road, north through the alley to E. Washington Street, and right on Buffalo Street back to Church Street.
“We see our role as a school district to include enhancing the quality of lives that our learners live in accordance with community values,” Rock said. “This means service, helping your neighbor, and slowing down to notice where our skills can make a positive difference to everyone in our community.”
The city Parking Committee, Rick Detkowski, Jennifer Radcliff, Trena Besch, Jason Kneisc, Eric Lines, and Kay Pearson, have met weekly through most of spring and summer to increase downtown parking.
“It’s a great group of people – they all work hard,” said Detkowski, also a City Council member. “It’s hard to stay engaged, but they did. It’s appreciated by the city.”
When considering the RHS lot for public parking, the committee discussed concerns from Church Street residents about increased traffic down their road – the gate from the lot to Church will be opened during the designated times. They are working to spread information and eventually install signs to direct traffic away from there as much as possible.
“The idea is to have traffic come in off Waldon Road,” Detkowski said.
Items still under discussion include new markings on downtown residential streets Buffalo, Washington, and Church to make clearer where parking is allowed.
City engineer Gary Tressel is reviewing plans for easement improvements on E. Washington Street, including four- and eight-foot options.
“Eight-foot would allow cars to park completely off the road, and four-foot would be partially on the road but still allow enough space for emergency vehicles,” Detkowski said.
Residents are split on the plan.
“The main concern is safety, for emergency vehicles to safely get down the street. There have been some near misses,” he said.
They reviewed paving versus gravel, and found paving would be cost prohibitive, he said.
“We’ll figure out how to address it,” Detkowski said.
It’s the slow season for parking now, with school back is session and winter approaching. This past spring and summer, however, it was clear the city doesn’t have enough parking capacity, he said.
“We’ve received complaints from residents, about the overflow in front of their houses,” Detkowski said. “Obviously, we don’t have enough spaces. Hopefully, we do now.”
Issues also include parking on Buffalo, which switches one-side-only parking from one side of the street to the other, along its length.
“It’s not uniform,” he said.
They will also review ADA compliance, to make sure there are enough handicap spaces and marked properly, he said.
The committee is now meeting every other week. The next one will be on Oct. 4 at 6:30 p.m. at city hall.