By Sarah Richardson
At the Lewisburg City Council meeting earlier this week, Councilmember John Little gave an overview of the November Planning Commission meeting where they discussed the site plan review for the West Parking Lot at Church and Foster Streets for the Lewisburg Foundation. There will be 29 parking spaces installed at the True Value site, with two street parking spaces being removed on the street. The site of the old Seneca Health building, facing Church Street, is a separate project. The portion of the site facing Court Street is what the Lewisburg Foundation refers to as the West Parking Lot.
“Twenty-nine total parking spots are being created with this project. We are losing the existing 13 that are already there at True Value, and we are losing an additional two on the street. There’s a total of 14 on the street, but we’re only losing two, which is the entrance,” explained Little. “The City is, in essence, giving up two spots for this project. […] The project is reconfiguring their 13 spots, […] for a total of gaining 14 spaces.”
Little said that the project will be using the same lampposts as the city, and there will be a retaining wall between the True Value site project and the Seneca Health building site, along with landscaping and drainage. Bricks from the old Seneca Health building, which was formerly a dormitory, will be repurposed for the retaining wall. Little also specified that the City will not have the responsibility for maintaining the privately-owned lot, although it will be available to the public on a first-come first-serve basis.
“In a City like ours where parking is especially tight, I think it’s really interesting that there can be a project done where more than enough spaces are going to be created that there can be a surplus for the City. At least from my perspective, and at the recommendation of the Planning Commission, is that this project be approved, because it’s really becoming such a nice benefit to the City.”
Council approved the site plan unanimously as presented, where it must now be reviewed by the Historic Landmarks Commission.
