(Posted Oct. 12, 2023)
By Kristy Zurbrick, Madison Editor
Mount Sterling council members unanimously approved signage projects to improve traffic, parking, and pedestrian safety around the village.
Council’s street and safety committees recommended the projects. The full council approved them on Oct. 9. They are as follows:
• Installation of stop signs at Jefferson and Madison streets to create a four-way stop. Currently, this intersection is a two-way stop.
• Removal of a stop sign at the intersection of Third Avenue and North High Street. This would take the intersection from a three-way stop to a two-way stop, eliminating a stop sign leading to an alley and thereby improving traffic flow.
• Installation of a no-parking sign by the stop sign at North Market Street and West Columbus Street, near the Sunoco gas station and U.S. post office. The equivalent of one-and-a-half parking spaces will be marked off as no parking and the curb will be painted to indicate no parking. Currently, that spot is a blind curve when cars are parked there.
• Implementing a 15-minute parking restriction at the loading zone on West Columbus Street in front of Two Hands Coffee and Creative Studio. Motorists are parking in the loading zone even though the area has no curb, has no designated parking spots, and is not on private property. By limiting parking there to 15 minutes, the village hopes to decrease the overall amount of time vehicles are parked in the area, thereby increasing visibility.
Bulk Water
At the Oct. 9 council meeting, Shawn Smith, owner of Water Boy Water Hauling out of Washington Court House, addressed council about bulk water services. He buys bulk water from Mount Sterling and other municipalities to conduct his business.
Smith said he heard that Mount Sterling might stop offering bulk water and wanted to know if that was the case as it would change how he does business.
Joyce Phillips, chair of council’s water committee, said a decision on continuation of bulk water service has been tabled until next year due to budget concerns. The village is considering changing its setup to increase hours for the service while reducing the manpower needed to monitor the service. This could include a credit card and/or key system for users.
The last quote the village received for the equipment was $17,000 which did not include labor, Phillips said, adding that she wants to see hard, fast numbers on costs before moving forward. Those numbers include equipment and installation costs, as well as revenue and expense costs associated with the current set-up. She said the committee plans to return to the issue in January.
Council member Becky Martin, who chaired the water committee last year, wants decisions made as soon as possible regarding bulk water service.
“Water is the biggest commodity that Mount Sterling has. It’s not anything we can afford to table or put off for a while,” she said.
Miscellaneous
• A rezoning request will be up for a public hearing and a potential vote by council at council’s Oct. 23 meeting. The meeting starts at 7 p.m. in council chambers at town hall. The public is invited to comment and ask questions.
Harral and Stevenson Engineering and Surveying out of Circleville has requested that 17 undeveloped lots behind the former IGA grocery store be rezoned from low density residential (R-1) to higher density residential (R-3).
• The Mount Sterling Eagles Youth League will hold a trunk-or-treat from 5 p.m. to approximately 7:30 p.m. Oct. 27 at Mason Park.
• Council member David Timmons relayed a request from the Mount Sterling Community Museum for donation of old Mount Sterling telephone books.
