Aragon city council says ‘nay’ to city hall paving project

No new parking spaces will be added to the front of Aragon’s city hall, as the city council voted Sept. 24 against a Public Works plan to expand the number of spaces in the lot.

Mayor Ken Suffridge called for the special session on Sept. 24 so the council could give their thumbs up or down on the plan.

If implemented, the cost of the project was estimated at more than $4,000 in materials and extras.

The council voted 4-0 against the plan, which would have brought the total number of parking spaces at the front of Aragon’s administrative building to 42.

Suffridge said the issue came up after the County Board of Elections recommended the City of Aragon expand their parking area as part of the Election Board’s suggestions for improving the precinct.

“We looked at the front parking lot for the possibility of adding additional parking spaces,” Suffridge said in a memo to the council. “We also discussed new signage indicating ‘additional parking in the rear.’”

The problem, Suffridge said, was that to make the parking improvements work, it would require not just cutting the spaces out of the grass area and laying down asphalt, but would require moving a sign mounted in brick, cutting two trees and rewiring an electrical outlet.

Suffridge felt it would ruin the look of the building if the work was done.

“It also creates additional traffic congestion in front of the building, especially on busy days,” he said.

What Suffridge proposed – and what the council approved when it voted down the county plan - was to re-stripe the front parking lot, stripe the back parking areas to define clear spaces, create temporary signs on voting and court days, and block off grassy areas used to park now with police tape and signage.

“It’s a much cheaper and easier solution,” Suffridge said.

Council member Hunter Spinks, prior to the start of the meeting, also suggested that posts with a chain might be erected as a more permanent solution as well.