Galesburg City Council didn’t want to take sides in what appears to be an issue between two adjacent building owners on Seminary Street.Aldermen were to vote on the creation of a loading zone on South Seminary Street that would eliminate a right-turn lane.
The proposed zone would be in front of Lindstrom’s TV and Appliances, which owner Dick Lindstrom says is his main entrance for loading and unloading.
MAK Properties, businessman Mark Kleine’s property management and development entity, owns the building next door run which now operates as Craft Butcher and Deli.
Kleine in a November 14th letter to The Register Mail said he made the request to the city for the loading zone for Lindstrom’s benefit and Lindstrom went to the City Council to oppose the zone.
Lindstrom was concerned that if anyone could use the loading zone it would block his business’ ability to load and unload.
Alderman Angela Bastian says the city shouldn’t take sides between the two and made a motion to table, directing city administration to work out a mutually beneficial agreement between Kleine and Lindstrom.
Four council members out of six present agreed.
Russell Fleming seemed poised to vote no on the elimination of the turn lane saying he’d been contacted by many residents opposed.
City Manager Todd Thompson says a traffic study is just a snapshot.
“The traffic study doesn’t say that nobody’s using the right-turn lane. It just says there’s not enough people that were using it to justify having a right-turn lane. That’s really the only conclusion of it,” Thompson says.
Thompson says if Kleine and Lindstrom work out an agreement they’ll try to bring something back to the council to vote on.
