Recent construction in the parking lot behind the businesses on the south side of Main Street in downtown Whitesboro has raised some questions. The buzz hit social media with folks wondering about plumbing issues underground; the possible building of a new business; and the hope that the city was stepping in to save the Food Truck park.
The real reason for the construction project is less exciting, but necessary.
For years, the Whitesboro Area Chamber of Commerce has been interested in the City removing the curbs and medians that divide the parking lot. The lot has become a central hub for community events, like the Chamber’s Chili Fest and annual Peanut Festival, and the curbs are a hazardous hindrance for the enjoyment of these gatherings.
Last year, Triple T Amusements, the company who provides the carnival for the Peanut Festival, expressed a need to find alternate locations for the beloved rides and Midway games due to the difficulty of maneuvering their equipment over the lot’s curbs.
Historically, the parking area was privately owned by multiple businesses who each delineated their property by installing their own curbs. Today, the entire lot is owned by the city, therefore the divisive curbs and medians are no longer necessary.
Chamber Board President Mike Burkleo approached the city with the proposal to join forces to get the curbs removed prior to this year’s festival (slated for Oct. 18). He (and others, including David Irvin and Solo Select Materials and Excavation) would donate time, labor and resources (like smaller equipment that the city doesn’t have) to minimize the cost of the project.
The city paid for the asphalt and the materials to be hauled away after demolition, a price that City Administrator Phil Harris deemed “negligible” compared to the benefits of the project.
According to Harris, the project entailed the removal of the medians, sealing cracks, covering the area with asphalt and FoxSealant to protect the ground from water and then repainting the lines.
“This provides a flatter surface to get around,” Harris said. “It’s an easier transition for people and will make the area more manageable for drivers and pedestrians.”
The parking lot overhaul doesn’t mean the carnival will return to the lot, as Triple T Amusements noted their most successful year at the location behind Tender Smokehouse last year.
But it does mean that some traffic pattern adjustments, a smoother surface and clearly outlined parking spaces will make the area safer for everyone who visits that part of town.
