Business owners say new fence causing problems

A portion of the River Trail and a parking area on Post Street blocked off by a temporary fence next to a U.S. Army Corp of Engineers property is affecting businesses in that area.

A call to the Corps was not returned Monday, but a posted sign indicates the path will reopen on June 1.

Chip Coffin of The Foam Garage said his business has been directly impacted. The party venue has no exit on Front Street, which runs parallel to Post Street. Coffin said that patrons enter and exit from his back door on Post Street.

The parking area is blocked off now, he said, and other businesses are having problems due to no parking for their employees.

"At the same time, I'm happy they are doing it before someone gets killed," he said.

While specifics about the work to be done were not immediately available, Coffin described a section in a wall in the fenced-off area that's about five feet tall and was leaning about 10 inches into the bike path and parking area.

Whitney Cruells of 740 Social said her restaurant/bar has a large parking lot but the situation is still causing hardships for nearby businesses.

"I imagine that all the businesses on Post Street will be affected," she said.

Cruells also said that a lot of the businesses in the area have petitioned the city to remove the two-hour parking restriction on Front Street to make room for their customers.

Everybody suffers if fewer people come downtown or if it's harder to get around in the area, Cruells said.

The area being repaired is on Post Street between Butler and Ohio Streets. The fencing has forced two-way bicycle traffic onto Post Street, which is a one-way street.