Feedback Responses (21-40)
Message 21: I am still a little confused about the purpose and what is going on. Could you do more explaining of the "thru traffic" and the "round about". Thank youSubmitted by: S.
Message 22: I would prefer to see traffic moved away from the public library and Vernon...over to 8th. I live on 5th ave and over the last ten years the traffic has increased tremendously. Very poor planning on the part of Marion as far as safety for children and pedestrians. Bringing traffic one block closer shows how little folks are paying attention to current state. I understand the "nice houses" are on 8th but that should have been considered before building Library, City Hall and knowing Vernon was here. What was wrong with the old library and city hall sites and expanding those? Too close to 8th? Hmmm....me thinks something is out of place with this picture.
Submitted by: Anonymous
Message 23: Remember the fiasco with those stupid stoplight signals and side street parking? How well that worked. Seems several years later the lights were removed after common sense prevailed. At least there wasn't alot of money spent and was undone. If you do plan D then Marionites are on the hook for who knows how long for bonds and taxes with no easy way to undo the roadway mess.
Submitted by: Anonymous
Message 24: I believe we as a city already passed a tax to repair the city streets and sewer something. How it passed I will never really know. But until I'm not dodging potholes, cracks and rough roads, then and only then, Marion can waste a little more of the already generated taxes, not a new tax.
Submitted by: S.A.
Message 25: I guess I am not 100% sure what to think on this one. When I was growing up my family had a small business on 7th Avenue around the time the by-pass was about to be built. This was the same discussion that was going on when that happened. Everyone was very upset that we would lose tons of traffic and all businesses in Marion would go under due to not having traffic through downtown anymore. This doesn't seem to be the case. It's still relatively easy to navigate downtown (not super simple...but pretty easy depending on the time.) Granted I don't want to taxes increased but I do think we need to slow down and take a closer look at what options we have before just voting blindly. Great website and very informative! Thank you very much!
Submitted by: Anonymous
Message 26: If the reason that the city is really doing this is traffic congestion on 7th Avenue there are better and cost effective ways to do it. Make 7th Street a regular timed intersection. Install a round about at 10th Street and 7th Avenue as well as at 10th Street and 8th Avenue. Finally, get light timing better by making them allow better traffic flow. When is the Council going to open up a meeting to the public to get our opinion?
Submitted by: J.M.
Message 27: I've lived in Marion for almost 20 years now and during that time the only changes I've seen are used auto businesses showing up almost every other block. I'm sure Marion business owners aren't happy with any of your plans for renovating the downtown area, but change is hard and they will need to deal with it and adapt. I do think however, if the renovation goes forward, it should be all or nothing. But also keep in mind that just adding more trees and updated buildings isn't going to solve everything. People want to be entertained. Consider space for outdoor cafes, a water display, perhaps a small outdoor theater for performing arts, just to name a few. Give people a reason to come downtown other then to look for a used-auto or buy antiques.
Submitted by: M.H.
Message 28: I'd be interested in having a sign in my front yard. I know I'm not on a high traffic street and I don't want to take a sign that could be used in a more visible place, but if there are extra signs, I'm more than willing.
Submitted by: J.V.
Message 29: We just received through the mail a directory for the City of Marion. In it there is a synopsis of the history of Marion. Why would you want to change 7th Avenue? When we moved here in '77, I always wanted to live in a town that had a safe city square, Marion has one. A lot of activities occur there. I think it is a shame that you want to change 7th Avenue when whoever drives down 7th Avenue now can see a little bit of history. Since we moved here, alot of changes have taken place along 7th Avenue but the spirit is still there. I think 7th Avenue would become a ghost street if you change it to something else.
Submitted by: A.P.
Message 30: Many of the businesses contribute greatly to the city's tax base. However, everyone in Marion talks about Marion like it is something great when they have treated it as nothing more than generic and "just good enough". If current land owners and businesses, along 7th Avenue and elsewhere, truly cared about the image and attractiveness of the city they would have improved their properties with more permanently designed buildings and parking lots long ago and not improvised, vernacular junk construction that is primarily around here now.
Submitted by: Anonymous
Message 31: Can 6th ave be a one way heading east and 7th ave be a one way heading west? Seems like we would not lose businesses on 7th ave and may gain more on 6th ave.
Submitted by: T.
Message 32: I have lived all my life in Marion,7th Ave. has been a vital part of my life. It has let me get to places alot easier and faster. I don't understand why we have put all this money into these new businesses, when we are just going to close the main roadway through Marion. 7th Ave. has alot of history on it, like the old buildings, in the heart of Marion. That is what draws our visitors here, is 7th Avenue. I also wouldn't like to pay more taxes so our Mayor can look better at their job. I am totally against any progress on closing the road into Marion's heart. We use that road for alot of things, like for example our festival on Sept. 11-13. That festival is showing how important our founder is to us.
Submitted by: R.C.
Message 33: Come on people read both sides before posting www.oaplanning.com/marioncorridor. It is an easy document to read and NO WHERE does it say the City is closing 7th Avenue. Educate yourselves to the project before posting, If your against the plan fine, but be against it based on the FACTS not the rumors and fear being presented here.
Submitted by: Anonymous
Message 34: For those of you who are reading the feed back look at plan D open your eyes there is no 7th ave it is buildings parking lots and trees their will be no through traffic IT IS CLOSED!!!!
Submitted by: M.D.
Message 35: "If you pave it, they will come" ... is not a plan. This plan appears to assume that once nice tree-lined streets are established, money will just flow in as property taxes along 7th and 6th avenue go up. While I favor cleaning up the city, the plans are basically devoid of details about how things will be paid for. There is no mention of the costs of buying up and relocating businesses and private residences. And no mention of how existing businesses will pay for renovations to meet the new "Guidelines" for appearance and offsets. The estimated costs of Concept D are ridiculously low -- $6.8M to $7.9M. Who are they kidding? Concept D pushes a new road right through Marion Iron, yet there is not one word about how the city will pay for moving Marion Iron or performing the environmental cleanup. Has anyone seen a more realistic and comprehensive cost estimate? Anyone seen estimates on how much our property taxes will go up? Anybody getting feedback from city officials?
Submitted by: Anonymous
Message 36: I have lived in Marion for most of my 47 years. This is a city I'm proud of and a city I love living in. But this is the most ridiculous idea that I have ever heard. It seems like the city of Marion wants to kill the downtown area. By installing a roundabout I foresee more traffic issues (we're not in the UK folks!). Personally, since I work in CR, I will not come through the downtown area to go home if this work is done..I will be taking the Marion by-pass (which if I recall was built to divert the traffic from downtown Marion) to 35th Street. I can't believe this is what Marion's forefathers wanted for this city. I agree that certain areas of 7th Ave. need to be cleaned up, but to totally divert traffic from 7th would be disaster for all of the businesses currently on our "Main Street".
Submitted by: T.M.
Message 37: I think re-directing traffic off of 7th avenue, although that was the purpose of the bypass, would be a foolish mistake. Business' on 7th Ave rely on that traffic for a portion of their revenue and would pay a high price in re-directing the traffic to 6th Ave. They will also lose business during any construction process when traffic is impeded and re-routed. The question of a round-about baffles me. The size of the round-about would have to be huge to handle the amount of daily traffic on 7th Ave. Multi-lane round-abouts are confusing and frustrating to those drivers who get caught in the inner circle during peak flow times. A system of signals is less disrupting to existing traffic patterns and requires less construction time.
Submitted by: J.T.
Message 38: Bad idea to close 7th Avenue!!!! What about all the loyal Marion businesses that will have to close if this goes through because their business depends on drive by business. The people handing out flyers for the approval of closing 7th Ave were wearing Nebraska T-shirts today at the parade, they obviously don't care about home town Marion, IA.
Submitted by: K,P.
Message 39: We do not want it closed! That is the main road to all of stores and shops, it will make it very congested and we do not need that.
Submitted by: L.
Message 40: I am not happy to hear of such plans. First off when we voted last for the property taxes to be raised this time it was not for the money to be used for this idea. Further more we already pay high taxes to live here in Marion, but if you continue to raise taxes good people might have to move out of Marion taking money right out of the towns pocket! I am also upset to hear that the petition was not honored. I am one person who took the time to sign that paper. STOP IGNORING THE COMMENTS OF THE PEOPLE OF MARION! All we keep hearing is how the economy is not doing well... some questions I would like answered... how would this idea help that? It sounds like people a lot of people would loose jobs!! What is the point? How long has the city been this way? Has it been a issue all those years? STOP AND THINK!!!
Submitted by: Anonymous
Copyright © 2009 Partners for Regional & Economic Development. · Design by PFRED