To All Downtown Wheeling and Centre Market Business Owners:
Let’s all agree … it was a lot of snow, and at least seven inches fell onto the streets of downtown Wheeling. Plus, it took place during the nighttime hours and was twice the amount of precipitation predicted by the National Weather Service.
Shocker, right?
City and state crews were out early Tuesday morning, too, and they had their work cut for them because the snow was a very heavy one. The roads in downtown Wheeling and in Centre Market were still slick at the end of the workday, but they have improved through the week, but what did not were the parking areas along downtown’s streets.
Is there a solution? Businesses are responsible for clearing the sidewalks, and if they do not those owners could be subjected to fines. But should they have to clear the parking spaces near their shops and restaurants, too? We think not.
That is why we suggest downtown and Centre Market business owners instigate the conversation with city and state officials to develop a new and improved plowing process that includes the roadways and also the parking spaces. Compromises will need to be made, though, because the snow has to pile up somewhere, but if downtown Wheeling is ever going to become attractive once again to new commercial operations this is an issue that must be resolved.
If funding is an obstacle for the two levels of government, perhaps utilizing a portion of the User Fee that is tagged for “infrastructure” is the answer. Think about it this way: employees of Wheeling businesses pay the $2-per-week fee and in downtown and many of them depend on these spaces, not only for themselves but also for the customers that offer them job security, too.
Sincerely,
The CS Club
