Alert: Fencing Roselle Street

[lindab]

Roselle Street in historic Riverside will be fenced off from Stockton Street to Copeland to accommodate Miller Electric Company expansion, one of the giant construction firms in Jacksonville. The plan is on the City Council agenda for approval.  http://citycirc.coj.net/coj/COJBillList.asp?Bill=2007-1114

Miller Electric PUD for the street designates it as a "Greenway" but really it will be city owned property deeded over for a private parking lot. Closing off part of the grid of streets is a terrible idea. We've already lost too many streets in downtown and Riverside this way.

[RiversideGator]

This has not happened yet and has not been approved by City Council.  My understanding is that the Jacksonville Historic Preservation Commission voted to deny this request and that it has to go before the City Council for approval.  CM Warren Jones has agreed to defer the matter to allow the parties (primarily RAP and the neighbors who oppose the closure and Miller who wants to close the street for selfish reasons) to try and reach a compromise.  A compromise might include convincing the DOT to redo the intersection at Rosselle and Stockton to allow for 2 way traffic onto Stockton Street instead of closing Rosselle Street.  We will see, but this is definitely not over or approved and if anyone is concerned about this proposed permanent closure of an historic Riverside street, please contact RAP for more information (call 389-2449) and come to the City Council meetings to speak in opposition to this terrible idea.

[RiversideGator]

BTW, can a moderator move this to the Riverside/Avondale section please?