The name of the place is Cornell, not Sign City

Limited parking throughout Cornell’s Main Street has been capped, after a Public Health and Safety meeting May 19. The meeting was held to discuss a request from Main Scoop owners Paul and Ann Sonderegger, who asked for two designated parking spots, for a curbside walk-up window they’re installing in their ice cream parlor.

The Sondereggers requested a reserved space in front of their building, with the other in front of where Schick’s Bowl & Brew’s property begins, running May 1 through Sept. 30, from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Marcia Schick, owner of Schick’s, says she is against the spaces that would need to be signed, as the city has recently installed limited parking signs across from the pharmacy and in front of the daycare (next to Schick’s).

“Pretty soon, you’re going to be Sign City,” said Schick. “Nobody’s going to know where to park where, anymore.”

Floyd Hickethier says it bothers him that bowling league parking would be interfered with from May to almost October.

“To me, honestly, I don’t feel like you should have a parking spot for people to walk to go to the window, if you are planning on a walk-up,” said council member Ashley Carothers and acting public safety chair. “I don’t feel that it would be in the best interest to put a parking spot specifically there on Main Street for that.”

Schick says the ice cream shop has parking around the corner about half a block to the alley. Dave DeJongh says the council agreed on the newly instated designated spots for limited parking, in effort to keep tenants from tying up spaces in front of businesses for days on end.

Schick said she likes the idea of placing cones to reserve spots, but DeJongh said that cones don’t indicate what that means.

“I don’t think the police can enforce anything,” said De-Jongh, “unless they can point to a sign that says this is what the parking regulations are.”

“It’s an enforcement nightmare if you start hanging signs,” said police chief Brian Hurt.

Schick says she and her husband, Tom, don’t have problem with the daycare parking, as it’s a short time each day (6-8 a.m., 3-6 p.m.), and acts as a safety measure for dropping off kids.

“Granted, it’s my happy hour, but I’ve had nobody complain about it,” said Schick.

Carothers said the letter requesting the signs doesn’t say how long the parking time would be or if it is only for Main Scoop customers. The Sondereggers were not at the meeting to answer questions, so the committee recommended not going forward with the signs – or any others.

“It should be all or none, and be done with it,” said council member and committee member Terry Smith.