St. Plan Gaining Support Public Hearing I Set Tonight at 8
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! ♦ — THE HERALD, Mon., June » , IW l man to y. page 3 Serving the Manchester, Conn. Manchester area Tuesday, June 30, 1981 for 100 years iJIanrIffHtrr Mrralb 25 Cents Main St. plan gaining support Public hearing i set tonight at 8 By Paul Hendrie medians. Traffic lights at Myrtle Herald Reporter and Florence streets would be removed, while the entrance to the MANCHESTER — The Downtown Forest Street parking lot will be Coordinating Committee this mor realigned so it will be directly ning pledged support for the con across from the Maple Street in U ^ troversial |3.4 million plans to tersection. Lamson said that in renovate and realign Main Street tersection could then be signalized from Center Street to Charter Oak Bus turnoffs would be constructed Street. along the route, so buses stopping to Committee members, led by let passengers on and off would not Chairwoman Betty Petricca, said clog traffic they will attend the public hearing Eldridge Street would be closed at 8 p.m. today at the Senior Citizens and replaced with a plaza. Center. Lamson said the hazards to “ I think this is a very positive step pedestrian traffic will also be M i and it’s especially important for this solved. committee to be represented there "W e will effectively reduce the tonight,” Petricca said. width for pedestrians, " explained The committee heard a detailed Lamson. “ At some points along explanation of the plan from Town Main Street, the distance a Planner Alan Lamson and General pedestrian now has to cross is about Manager Robert B. Weiss. 100 feet” Lamson said much of the basic Lamson said this means an repair work is needed anyway, to average pedestrian takes more than correct Main Street's structural 30 seconds to cross the street. deficiencies. Weiss said these "That’s a long time for someone repairs alone would cost the town at to be out there in traffic, " Lamson I least $1.7 million and he noted that added. the town would have to foot the bill According to the plan, pedestrian itself if it rejects the renovation islands would be installed to reduce project. the walking distance across the Roger Allain, owner of the Crockery Shoppe, says he may be Under the plans to be presented street. J'J’' •* 'iT5p>?,i forced to look for a new location If all parking spaces on his side of Bernie Apter, owner of Regal Men’s Shop with his father Louis, tonight, Manchester will only pay New street lights would be in Main Street are eliminated, as la proposed by the Main Street im has expressed support for the plans to beautify and improve traf $255,000. The state will provide the stalled along Main Street. A t . ! ^ : provement plan. (Herald photo by Courtney) fic flow on Main Street. (Herald photo by Pinto) S w remaining $3,145,000, which will separate set of lights would light the come from so-called “ turn-back” sidewalks. funds. There seems to be general support Som e excited, some annoyed Turn-back money became for improving traffic flow, although available when construction plans a few merchants fear that the for Interstate 291 and Interstate 86 system of lanes on the west side to were scrapped, Lamson explained. allow smooth flowing through traf Some of the money will go to fic will make it too easy for cars to repair Main Street's long-neglected by-pass their businesses. structual deficiencies. But Weiss said the 'merchants Downtown merchants Lamson explained that a high would be even less happy if the state crown on the southern section of the ^ . road creates flooding problems, as PleuM- turn to pug<- K admits John Anderson, owner of the said Roger Allain, owner of the young teenagers who go downtown not i-ynoff water fills storm drains. Con- By Pat Courtney Lion's Den. "but that certainly isn't Crockery Shoppe. Allain’s store is to shop, but simply to “ hang out” , tinued patching of the pavement by Herald Reporter the business people's way of looking on the west side of Main Street, frequently annoying other people on putting more tar on it will only at things." which is slated to lose all its parking the street with their behavior. make the flooding problem worse. MANCHESTER - “ It's Uie most Anderson and the majority of spaces. That side of the street now Though Anderson acknowledged But the Main Street reconstruction Bombing exciting and visionary plan for smaller Main Street businesses in has 63 parallel parking spaces, that he knew the plan being will relieve this problem, Lamson downtown since the ill-fated terviewed by the Herald Monday which would be reduced to four un proposed by the town calls for much said. redevelopment plan of 15 years say they are afraid that the plan's der the proposed plan. " I t ’s like more parking on the street than the Other necessary repair work in I ago," said Phillip Harrison, of they’re going to slowly strangle us,” state had wanted, he said he "wasn’t proposal for the removal of 147-on- cludes installation of a new water Harrison’s Stationers, referring to victims street parking spaces will cost them he said. Allain has been in his pre convinced” that part of the idea main under Main Street, as part of proposed plans for the realignment sent location 10 years, but said he behind the plan was not to eventual "SS business. the ongoing water improvement of Main Street. Customers now are unwilling to would be forced to look at relocating ly force out smaller businesses. project. Weiss added that new elec But other merchants disagree, park in lots behind stores or on side to another street if the changes go “ Our building has just been tric, gas and telephone lines also bought by some lawyers. With the mourned matching the enthusiasm of streets, they say. and the merchants through. have to be installed under the street. Harrison and other supporters with don't believe that a newly beautified Generally, the street’s larger and mall being planned over at Burr But the plan proposes to go beyond skepticism and annoyance at the street, with less on-street parking, more successful businesses are Comers, you can just see that retail basic repairs. It is intended to en By United Press Internationai business they fear they’ll lose, if the will persuade customers to change more optimistic about the plan. business is being shifted over courage a revitalized downtown by Hundreds of thousands of . plan is implemented. their old habits. Instead they’ll go Louis Apter, owner of Regal Men’s there, ' he said. Anderson completely renovating Main Street. Iranians, chanting and beating their " I t ’s a good plan from the point of elsewhere, the store owners predict. Shop, with his son Bemle Apter, are speculates that Main Street will Under the plan, traffic flow would chests in a sign of mourning, view of traffic and safety control,” " I t ’s going to be disasterous.” both strong supporters of the plan. become increasingly attractive to be improved drastically. .V * • marched through the streets of "The street’s bwn the same for so lavryers, realtors, banks and other The Main and Center streets in Tehran today for the mass funeral of ^■L, many years,” said the elder Apter, non-retail businesses if the street tersection will be realligned under a 72 prominent officials of the Islamic “ that we're hoping it’ll improve changes are made which will reduce separate state grant. V Pyf .‘A J;‘-J regime killed in a terror bombing. things. The new lighting, the new parking on-street. Lanes along the west side of the Petitioners seek sidewalks, the designs to beautify George Marlow, owner of street would allow traffic to flow In another indication of the worsening turmoilgripping Iran, of the street, it’s all needed.” Marlow's Department Store at 867 freely along, while a lane on the east ficials said Mohammad Kachouei. Apter concedes that the loss of Main St., finds many problems with side of the street will allow traffic to governor of Tehran's notorious Evin parking spaces is a negative factor the plans for the overhaul of the slow down and look for parking jail, was fatally shot in the prison a new roadway but commented, “ Maybe we’ll have street. He feels that the elimination without impeding through traffic. compound and the revolutionary to sacrifice some on street parking of some on-street parking could be "The traffic can be adequately prosecutor’s office charged the to beautify the street.” detrimental to businesses, he said. handled going along Main Street, but proposed by the town would serve warden was "assassinated by U.S MANCHESTER - Several Main But John Anderson of the Lion’s “ It’s not a retail approach to a a person looking for a parking space agents." Street merchants, led by Kenneth the same purpose. The only major Den questions the logic of retail street,” he said. " I t ’s purely a will not stop traffic,” Lamson difference, Lamson said, is that it A prison spokesman told UPl Burkamp, owner of the'Main Street beautification efforts, as does Roger traffic approach.” explained. Kachouei was buried along with the mini mall, are circulating a petition would extend only to Birch or Allain. Both said that the benches Marlow said the town should Angle parking along the east side 72 officials killed in the massive calling on the town to construct a Bissell Street, not Bralnard Place. now on the street attract "the review the plans for the street im- of the street would be separated Lamson said it is not practical to bomb blast Sunday at the Islamic through street behind Main.