Downtown Janesville parking lot stranded
Photo
This parking lot at the corner of Jackson Street and Milwaukee Street is blocked from all entry by concrete blocks and fencing making it impossible for the city of Janesville to access their parking spots in the lot.
JANESVILLE — Downtown business owners are steaming after the owner of Whitcomb-Lynch-Albrecht Funeral Home, 15 N. Jackson St., blocked access to a much used parking lot at the corner of Milwaukee and Jackson streets.
It appears the funeral home is holding the lot hostage to pressure the city into buying the property.
The funeral home relocated to the city’s west side and is selling the former funeral home building and parking lot for $275,000.
Funeral home owner Gerry Lynch owns about half the parking lot and the city owns the other. The parking lot sits in the footprint of the former Cullen building next to Crazy Joe's Best Deal Furniture, 314 W. Milwaukee St., said Jay Winzenz, assistant city manager.
But vehicles can only access the public spots by crossing the section owned by the funeral home. Winzenz estimated the public lot could accommodate between six or seven cars.
People also typically used the funeral home’s parking lot when it was not being used by the funeral home.
Lynch blocked off the lot shortly after moving his funeral home to its new location.
“I’m tired of supplying parking downtown for everyone,” he said, adding that he maintained the lot, plowed it and picked up trash. “Everyone thought it was a public lot.”
Lynch and the city have spoken about a sale, Winzenz said.
The parking arrangement between the funeral home and the city goes back many years.
In 1998, the city got permission from the former funeral home owners—then Overton Funeral Home—to use its portion of the lot to position equipment when the Cullen building was demolished. The parking lot was damaged, and the city agreed to repair that damage. It also built city parking.
The city agreed to lease the city lot to the funeral home for a cost of $1,167 a year.
“Basically, we paid to construct the parking lot at that location and lease it back to the funeral home,” Winzenz said.
The lease states that the city’s parking spots would be available for public use when they were not needed by the funeral home.
At some point, the city closed the curb opening to access the former Cullen building property.
“In essence, we landlocked ourselves,” Winzenz said.
The lease was set to expire in 2013, but the funeral home’s operators can terminate the lease if they move or go out of business by paying through the year.
Lynch paid the lease through 2012, so it is no longer in effect, he said.
“It’s just one of those things,” Lynch said. “I’ve maintained it (the lot). If I open it up, I have to plow it. Why do it for nothing?’’
Winzenz said the city offered to refund the lease payment and assume maintenance for both portions, but Lynch was not interested.
Creating a curb opening would cost about $30,000 because the parking lot must be rebuilt, Winzenz said.
Lynch said former Economic Development Director Doug Venable told him in past years that the city would buy the property if the funeral home ever moved. Lynch wants to sell both the building and the lot, since selling the lot separately leaves a building with no parking, he said.
Meanwhile, downtown business owners are pleading with the city to find more parking on the west end of Milwaukee Street.
“The area has become such a vibrant dining and shopping area from the river up to Jackson,” said Jim Alverson, owner of Home Again Consignment Home Furnishings. “There is far more street traffic.
“What we really need is the funeral home lot to be two hours during the day and overnight parking for tenants,” he said.
Winzenz said he doesn’t know what conversation Venable might have had with Lynch, but he believes buying the property makes sense in the long-term.
Downtown plans and strategies call for the block to become a downtown square with additional parking, Winzenz said. Plans call for everything in the block—including the funeral home—to be removed with the exception of First Presbyterian Church, 17 N. Jackson St.
The city has scheduled an appraisal of the property, but the economy is difficult right now, Winzenz said.
“We don’t see any progress in the immediate future taking place in the marketing of that long-term strategy,” he said.
The city is evaluating its options to make that parking available, Winzenz said.
“Now, the only means of access to the property we own is across the property owned by the funeral home,” he said. “It’s not an easy solution.”
Nov 3, 2011 at 11:07 a.m.
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wahoo_35... cozy inn, o'reilly's, fusion 5 to name a few restaurants. There are also several very nice home furnishing stores right there also. My wife and I Eat and shop in that area often. And I never have to walk 300 yds from my car to get to the front door.
Oct 30, 2011 at 10:13 a.m.
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Perhaps the same city planner who allowed access to the parking be closed is the same person who designed the sidewalk plan. Such common sense and forethought at work.
Oct 28, 2011 at 1:17 p.m.
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The city can't afford to purchase anything and Lynch sounds like a whiner!
Oct 28, 2011 at 12:39 p.m.
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So, who made the decision to close the curb opening in the first place. That person ultimately caused this problem. But again, nobody gets held responsible.
Oct 28, 2011 at 11:56 a.m.
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paperboy, yes
Oct 28, 2011 at 9:58 a.m.
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helge1939. And the owner of the rest of the property has the right to block access to it if the city does not have the right of way.
Oct 28, 2011 at 8:50 a.m.
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"Downtown business owners are steaming"? Gosh they should be mad. How dare the city not have adequate parking lots for tdowntown businesses. The city certainly pays for all the parking lots at the malls and businesses on Milton Av. Oh, That's right, those businesses have to pay for their lots, taxes on the property the lots are on and all the maintenance. I agree, the city should add some more phony taxes so we can provide free parking lots. How about a user tax,,, called parking meters.
Oct 28, 2011 at 7:49 a.m.
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They city would do the same to someone else if they were in that position. I think this is funny.
Oct 28, 2011 at 1:41 a.m.
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grandys618, loved your post.
Oct 28, 2011 at 12:19 a.m.
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Did someone say bottom "feeder"?Listen people we all understand what this about.Just buy it...We all know we need more parking in that area..Funny...
Oct 27, 2011 at 8:48 p.m.
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I would not want that liability, either. You want a public parking space, city has to purchase. Even this 99%er can figure that one out. D'oh.
Oct 27, 2011 at 8:48 p.m.
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“The area has become such a vibrant dining and shopping area from the river up to Jackson,”
We are talking about downtown Janesville, right? What vibrant dining and shopping is down there?
Oct 27, 2011 at 8:40 p.m.
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Oh, wait. Piss the city off, and they do that. Knock all the barns down.
Oct 27, 2011 at 8:39 p.m.
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Knock all the barns down.
Oct 27, 2011 at 8:35 p.m.
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I guess I don't see what the big deal is. The guy puts up a barricade on the part of the property he owns. Not his fault the COJ closed off the curb easement. He doesn't want to plow or clean up what he's not using. Can't blame him for that. I wouldn't either. And he's probably saving a ton of money on insurance on a parking lot he's not using. I'm wondering if the COJ is willing to take on liability insurance, fix the lot, and pay HUGE dollars to plow the lot in the winter? Just curious and thanks!
Oct 27, 2011 at 7:46 p.m.
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hdonlybob, if you would give a moment's thought to your statement, you will see that Lynch is upset that Venable's statement was, in fact, not a commitment. (Venable was likely to know what the city would have considered doing at that time, but not under the current circumstances.)
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That said, I have to say that Janesville sure has its share of people who are actively rooting for it to fail and delight in sadistically helping it crumble. Gerry Lynch, prince among men. I'd love to know the dollar amounts of a) the lease and b) the actual costs incurred in maintenance. Let's see for how few pieces of silver Gerry Lynch is selling out the merchants of West Milwaukee Street.
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Of course, there's a back story here -- the road not traveled. Had the downtown approved a Business Improvement District, that would have been a natural to take over the lease and cover maintenance. It would be public money, but underwritten by the merchants and landlords that benefit. Naturally, such an obvious public good cannot be permitted to exist in self-defeating Janesville, so the BID failed -- likely in part because of the votes of people like Lynch. Yet here we have something from which he (and the public, of course) could have benefited. It's practically tragic.
Oct 27, 2011 at 7:22 p.m.
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Nope, Jim probably owns it.
Oct 27, 2011 at 7:20 p.m.
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Why not remove the plastic fence and the blocks and simply put no parking signs on the half the city does not control. Or put in a couple of planks, like 2x12's on the curb and let people drive over them.
Oct 27, 2011 at 7:16 p.m.
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iI wonder if that's the same jerry lynch that owned the apt. building on the so. east corner of w.court and so. academy? That place had sixty police calls a month. Maybe they could work out somthing for all the cost to the citizens( if it is the same jerry)
Oct 27, 2011 at 6:58 p.m.
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I'm dying to see how this all ends up......
Oct 27, 2011 at 5:49 p.m.
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helge - "At some point, the city closed the curb opening to access the former Cullen building property. “In essence, we landlocked ourselves,” Winzenz said."
I would venture a guess this might explain as to why the lot is not accessible.
Oct 27, 2011 at 5:32 p.m.
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"Lynch said former Economic Development Director Doug Venable told him in past years that the city would buy the property if the funeral home ever moved."
OH REALLY....so how long has this meatball been making commitments with the taxpayers money..????
And $30,000 for a curb cut???? You guys are nuts...
But Oh, that would only be another small monthly hit to the taxpayers of Janesville, along with the wheel tax, garbage increase, 21% water increase, school tax increase, double parking fines, and numerous others....READ SARCASM....ROLLEYES....
Wake up Janesville leaders....
Oct 27, 2011 at 5:19 p.m.
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It would seem that the city has a right to be able to get to their part of the parking lot
Oct 27, 2011 at 5:12 p.m.
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Did Winzenz say "that the economy is difficult right now"? Lets see...
- sidewalks
- water tax
- school tax
- city waste increase
The board didn't care about passing all these with the economy being difficult. Why not add the parking lot to the list and make the city pay for it!
Oct 27, 2011 at 5:02 p.m.
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holding the lot hostage? this city did this to by closing off the other access to it . i too would close off the lot , even if the city plows it or takes it over it depreciates the value of the whole property , not blocking it off is a liability to the owner of the lot .
Oct 27, 2011 at 4:22 p.m.
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grandy: I don't think you "have a clue".
Oct 27, 2011 at 4:17 p.m.
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There seems to be alot of empty parking spaces on the city streets when I come thru. I hope the owners get their price espescially if they can stick it to the city
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