Changes set for downtown deliveries

♦ A proposal spells out loading and unloading rules.

The Rome City Commission is expected to take aim tonight at the ongoing clash between residents and drivers in the growing downtown district.

Commissioners are slated to hold a first reading of an ordinance amendment that will spell out the use of loading zones on Broad Street and in front of the district’s loft apartments and hotels.

Residents who park in the decks have complained that they can’t even unload groceries without getting a ticket. Restaurant and store owners have voiced concerns about both deliveries and the potential loss of customers that find their way blocked by vehicles.

Under the proposed amendment, commercial trucks may park in the center lanes on Broad Street to make deliveries or pickups between the hours of 9 and 11 a.m. and 1 to 3 p.m. However, there are new limits on how close they may be to a crosswalk or intersection.

There also will be loading and unloading zones in the one-way alleys behind the businesses and lofts. Vehicles can’t be left there longer than 20 minutes — 10 minutes for hotel guests — and there must be at least 10 feet of space left on the side for a car or emergency vehicle to pass. Violators may be towed at the owner’s expense.

A second reading and adoption is scheduled for the board’s next meeting, which will be held July 18 instead of July 25, when commissioners will be attending the Georgia Municipal Association’s annual convention in Savannah.

Commissioners caucus tonight at 5 p.m. and start their regular session at 6:30 p.m. Both meetings are in City Hall, 601 Broad St., and are open to the public.

Also on the agenda is a proclamation recognizing Friday as World Elder Abuse Awareness Day, and Ira Levy is signed up to speak about the proposed parking management plan that includes meters on Broad Street.