Park construction may continue without 'barrier' to fire station
Lead Summary
By
Brandy Chandler-brandychandler@gmail.com
The property maintenance and restoration committee of the Hillsboro City Council voted to recommend the Hillsboro Rotary Club be allowed to continue with the construction of a proposed park near the new fire station, without the previous stipulation of installing a fence.
The committee met Tuesday afternoon with Darrell Tissot, of the Rotary Club, to discuss the fencing issue. The committee had previously consulted with leadership at Hillsboro Fire and Rescue regarding their thoughts on the park at the bottom of the hill behind the fire station off North East Street. According to the committee, firefighters preferred there be a fence or a barrier that would prevent children from climbing the hill and accessing the back parking lot where the fire trucks are driven through. There was also discussion regarding the use of that hill as a popular sledding destination during snowy weather.
The club has secured a $25,000 grant from Rotary International to use for the park, and that Tissot has offered to contribute $25,000 if Hillsboro Rotary agrees to raise funds to match it, with a possible $75,000 to go toward the park. Two phases of construction of the park have been proposed, with the first phase containing playground equipment and the second phase containing a shelter house.
Committee chairperson Bonnie Parr and Hillsboro Safety and Service Director Ralph Holt discussed how it has now been proposed that a guard rail be placed near the top of the hill and the parking lot, as to prevent a possible accident with a truck going over the hill due to ice.
At Tuesday's meeting Tissot said he felt that the fencing requirement was unreasonable.
"I'm upset," Tissot said. "I tried to be a good citizen and tried to do a good thing, and then to require that a $3,000-$4,000 fence (be installed) on top of that to prevent some kids from running up the hill ... I would hope (drivers of the trucks) would be a little more vigil than that."
Tissot said that discussion regarding the safety of the park was valid but he felt that preventing the installation of the park, which would be paid for by the Rotary Club, was unreasonable.
"I'm telling you, it will be the last time I put a dime in this town," he said.
"You're entitled to your opinion," Parr said, and agreed that she didn't think the fence was necessary if a guard rail was going to be installed.
Zink said that unless something had changed, he had been told the firefighters wanted fencing around the park for safety reasons.
"Something has changed," Parr said. "I talked to them yesterday."
"Things change daily around here," Zink said.
Committee member Bill Alexander said that he felt, "the money Rotary is going to be putting in would be better spent on equipment rather than a fence, especially considering if a guard rail is going to be put up."
Tissot said that Rotary is going to be putting in a parking lot with handicapped accessible parking for the park at the bottom of the hill.
Parr said she had spokem to fire Chief Jerry Powell, who attended the meeting, and told the committee that the station did not have an issue with kids near the station this past year.
"If there was, I didn't notice it," Powell said.
Holt asked why, if there was no issue, why they were requesting the fence.
"I think Ed (Puckett, assistant fire chief) didn't want kids getting up and around the equipment," Powell said.
Powell said that if he had a choice between "a barrier to keep kids from going up the hill and a barrier to keep trucks from going over the hill, I'd take the barrier at the top of the hill to keep trucks from going over."
Alexander made a motion that Rotary be allowed to continue with the development and construction of the park as initially presented, without the fence. The motion was seconded by Parr.
Committee member Peter Pence was not in attendance at the meeting.
In other business, the committee considered a request for a variance for a sign permit. The request, made by Jean Hitch, is to install a sign for her silk flower business, located off Danville Pike in an area zoned Residential A.
Parr said that the committee should follow the ordinance.
Alexander asked several questions regarding the ordinance, residential zoning, variances and the grandfathering of various businesses with signs prohibited by the ordinance. He also asked Hillsboro Mayor Dick Zink his feeling on the matter.
"The way I see it, it has nothing to do with my feeling," Zink said. "You have the ordinance and you have to go by that."
"I feel like (everyone) should go by the ordinance," Parr said. "(The neighborhood) is such a nice little strip there, and if she wants to advertise her business, do it in the newspaper. She can have a nice sign put up in the window or put up on her house."
The ordinance allows small signs to be placed inside windows in Residential A advertising businesses.
Holt said that there was an issue also with temporary signs on the property, and wanted to know the committee's direction to take on that.
"She has received a letter already," Holt said. "We can send the police tomorrow to tell her that (the temporary signs are in violation)."
After discussion, Parr and Alexander determined that a vote on the matter would result in a 1-1 vote, and would not resolve the issue regarding the variance. They voted to table the matter until Pence was present. Parr told Holt to follow the ordinance regarding the temporary signs.
Parr also addressed the language of the temporary sign ordinance, saying that the committee should revisit the matter. According to Parr there is no time limit for signs on a business's property, but there is a time limit for other temporary signs. She said that the time limit was becoming an issue. After further discussion, Alexander said he wanted to study the matter, and the issue was tabled.
The property maintenance and restoration committee of the Hillsboro City Council will recommend the Hillsboro Rotary Club be allowed to continue with the construction of a proposed park near the new fire station, without the previous stipulation of installing a fence.
The committee met Tuesday afternoon with Darrell Tissot, of the Rotary Club, to discuss the fencing issue. The committee had previously consulted with leadership at Hillsboro Fire and Rescue regarding their thoughts on the park at the bottom of the hill behind the fire station off North East Street. According to the committee, firefighters preferred there be a fence or a barrier that would prevent children from climbing the hill and accessing the back parking lot where the fire trucks are driven through. There was also discussion regarding the use of that hill as a popular sledding destination during snowy weather.
The club has secured a $25,000 grant from Rotary International to use for the park, and that Tissot has offered to contribute $25,000 if Hillsboro Rotary agrees to raise funds to match it, with a possible $75,000 to go toward the park. Two phases of construction of the park have been proposed, with the first phase containing playground equipment and the second phase containing a shelter house.
Committee chairperson Bonnie Parr and Hillsboro Safety and Service Director Ralph Holt discussed how it has now been proposed that a guard rail be placed near the top of the hill and the parking lot, as to prevent a possible accident with a truck going over the hill due to ice.
At Tuesday's meeting Tissot said he felt that the fencing requirement was unreasonable.
"I'm upset," Tissot said. "I tried to be a good citizen and tried to do a good thing, and then to require that a $3,000-$4,000 fence (be installed) on top of that to prevent some kids from running up the hill ... I would hope (drivers of the trucks) would be a little more vigil than that."
Tissot said that discussion regarding the safety of the park was valid but he felt that preventing the installation of the park, which would be paid for by the Rotary Club, was unreasonable.
"I'm telling you, it will be the last time I put a dime in this town," he said.
"You're entitled to your opinion," Parr said, and agreed that she didn't think the fence was necessary if a guard rail was going to be installed.
Zink said that unless something had changed, he had been told the firefighters wanted fencing around the park for safety reasons.
"Something has changed," Parr said. "I talked to them yesterday."
"Things change daily around here," Zink said.
Committee member Bill Alexander said that he felt, "the money Rotary is going to be putting in would be better spent on equipment rather than a fence, especially considering if a guard rail is going to be put up."
Tissot said that Rotary is going to be putting in a parking lot with handicapped accessible parking for the park at the bottom of the hill.
Parr said she had spoken to fire Chief Jerry Powell, who attended the meeting, and told the committee that the station did not have an issue with kids near the station this past year.
"If there was, I didn't notice it," Powell said.
Holt asked why, if there was no issue, why they were requesting the fence.
"I think Ed (Puckett, assistant fire chief) didn't want kids getting up and around the equipment," Powell said.
Powell said that if he had a choice between "a barrier to keep kids from going up the hill and a barrier to keep trucks from going over the hill, I'd take the barrier at the top of the hill to keep trucks from going over."
Alexander made a motion to recommend to the full council that Rotary be allowed to continue with the development and construction of the park as initially presented, without the fence. The motion was seconded by Parr.
Committee member Peter Pence was not in attendance at the meeting.
In other business, the committee considered a request for a variance for a sign permit. The request, made by Jean Head, is to install a sign for her silk flower business, located off Danville Pike in an area zoned Residential A.
Parr said that the committee should follow the ordinance.
Alexander asked several questions regarding the ordinance, residential zoning, variances and the "grandfathering" of various businesses with signs prohibited by the ordinance. He also asked Hillsboro Mayor Dick Zink his feeling on the matter.
"The way I see it, it has nothing to do with my feeling," Zink said. "You have the ordinance and you have to go by that."
"I feel like (everyone) should go by the ordinance," Parr said. "(The neighborhood) is such a nice little strip there, and if she wants to advertise her business, do it in the newspaper. She can have a nice sign put up in the window or put up on her house."
The ordinance allows small signs to be placed inside windows in Residential A advertising businesses.
Holt said that there was an issue also with temporary signs on the property, and wanted to know the committee's direction to take on that.
"She has received a letter already," Holt said. "We can send the police tomorrow to tell her that (the temporary signs are in violation)."
After discussion, Parr and Alexander determined that a vote on the matter would result in a 1-1 vote, and would not resolve the issue regarding the variance. They voted to table the matter until Pence was present. Parr told Holt to follow the ordinance regarding the temporary signs.
Parr also addressed the language of the temporary sign ordinance, saying that the committee should revisit the matter. According to Parr there is no time limit for signs on a business's property, but there is a time limit for other temporary signs. She said that the time limit was becoming an issue. After further discussion, Alexander said he wanted to study the matter, and the issue was tabled.
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