At a July 26, 2016 Board meeting Manager Fink presented a proposal from Soamar Jamil, the owner of Li'l Porkys restaurant and the hopeful redeveloper of the Driftwood Marina. Jamil wants 40 parking spaces at the 75 Barker Road public parking lot dedicated to patrons and staff of the Bar and Grill into which he wants to convert the Marina.
I visited the existing 75 Barker Road parking lot. There are eight parking spots marked on the east side, about eight on the south side, and about eight in the middle. There were two handicapped and two regular spots by the door of the major structure at 75 Barker Road, the dome roofed former Township firehouse. To the north of that are three more marked parking spots. In the middle of the parking spaces by the door, projecting from deeply cracked and weed infested asphalt, is an unidentified bit of plumbing, perhaps a wellhead.
Accoring to Google Maps, the parking lot pavement is approximately 90' by 160'. Allowing 18' one-way aisles, a crude analysis shows the possibility of 45 to 50 9'x18' parking spaces in that area. That's if the entire asphalt area is re-marked.
The small white structure to the South of the dome-roofed former fire hall is leased to a Township Business, National In-Home Services. Some of the parking spaces presumably go with that lease.
The Board recently voted to spend $800 on resealing and re-striping the parking lot surface, goaded into doing so by the DDA which agreed to split the cost.
The parking lot resealing and restriping authorized at the same July 26th Board meeting has not even started. Why? Is that because the resealing companies are fantastically busy? Or is it because if the Board were aware of how few parking spaces would remain available to other Downtown businesses after granting Jamil's 40 space request, the Board might object to Manager Fink's vigorously advanced proposal?
75 Barker Road, View of parking lot entrance ffrom the direction of the US-23 exit
Google Satellite view and measurements of paved area, approximately 90' x 160'
On the eastern side, there is a line of No Parking - Fire Lane signs which probably mark Polly's property, but you can't tell.
A not too attractive view from the parking lot's northwest corner
The same perspective, including the northeast corner of the former Township Fire Hall, which the Township still owns
Eight spaces are barely marked in the middle. The condition of the asphalt speaks for itself.
East side Entrance of the old Township Fire Hall. Did I mention that the Township owns this property?
This is probably a wellhead. Trustee Dockett has repeatedly asked the Board to paint the building.
View from Northeast corner. The small white structure to the left (South) of the dome-roofed former fire hall is leased to a Township Business, National In-Home Services. Some of the parking spaces presumably go with that lease.