A discussion what is and what is not a city park under various city codes and policies was held by the Hastings City Council Monday. City Attorney Stephanie Fekkes told the council the current city definition says a park is used for athletic events or sports, a place to bring interaction. Fekkes said in her mind, that does not fit the Thornapple Plaza which provides entertainment events, so would not be a park.
By consensus, the council asked City Manager Jeff Mansfield to add the word entertainment to the definition of a park and more language controlling those uses.
Also Monday, a public hearing at the June 12 meeting was set to take comments on a possible special assessment district on eight property owners, including the city, to pay for 2,025 linear feet of five-foot wide sidewalks at a cost of $153,000 along West State Street.
The new sidewalks will connect other sections already in place and make walking safer as people walk between destinations on the western edge of the city and future urban areas to the west, Mansfield said.
Riverside Cemetery on State Road will get an entry arch from low bidder Copperrock Construction for $64,600 as recommended by the Riverside Cemetery Advisory Board. The bid turned out to be $10,000 higher than the original estimate. The funds will come from an account held at the Barry Community Foundation.
Also, several years ago, the city intended to do away with pole mounted signs in favor of ground signs for traffic safety, grandfathering in existing pole mounted signs with a non-conforming status. The council approved amending the ordinance to require the removal of non-conforming poles before a ground mounted sign can be installed to prevent both signs being at the same location.
Two developers have submitted offers to the city to buy and rehabilitate the former Moose building. The council set a public workshop for 6 p.m. at the June 12 council meeting to hear the proposals details, “so that you can make a more informed decision,” Mansfield said.
The council also approved closing a portion of Market Street from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. during Wendy’s 18th annual Classic Car Show on June 16 and also Sidewalk Sales days in the downtown area on July 7 and 8.
