Franklin City Council approved funding for improvements to the intersection at 12th and Liberty streets during the panel’s monthly meeting this week.
City manager Tracy Jamieson introduced a resolution that would allow her to act on behalf of the city and sign a $1 million grant agreement for the Transportation Alternatives Set-Aside (TASA) grant through PennDOT.
The grant will be used for the improvement project at 12th and Liberty streets, which is part of PennDOT’s overall Betterment Project, Jamieson said. The 12th and Liberty project is intended to make the intersection safer for pedestrians.
Jamieson thanked community development director Amanda Power for her efforts, saying she “worked hard on the grant.”
The resolution followed concerns voiced by Franklin resident Ralph Reed in which he expressed dissatisfaction with the current Americans with Disabilities Act accommodations in the city, including at many crosswalks.
“Franklin is the most unfriendly place I’ve been for handicapped people,” he said. Reed cited difficulty entering many places and also accessing their restrooms.
He also expressed concerns about the crosswalks not giving pedestrians enough time to cross, although he said the Liberty and 13th street crosswalk was alright.
Jamieson told Reed that when PennDOT comes through as part of the Betterment Project there will be improvements to the 12th and Liberty intersection as well as making curb cuts along Liberty Street.
She added that since Liberty Street is a state highway, the city is required to get permits to do work there.
Jamieson also noted in regard to Reed’s concerns about ADA accommodations in businesses that the city is unable to force businesses to put in ADA accommodations unless the business is already making major renovations.
In other business at this week’s meeting, Power told the council the city has been awarded $100,000 from the McElhattan Foundation for the first phase of the city’s neighborhood sidewalk program.
Power said the program will give homeowners and property owners in the phase 1 area cheaper sidewalk improvements, with the goal of making the sidewalks more walkable and people-friendly.
Councilman Christian Marshall brought up concerns he had heard from a citizen who said he was chased by a dog in Riverfront Park and then noticed the portion of a park sign requiring dogs to be kept on a leash had been whited out.
City solicitor Brian Spaid clarified that the only location in the city in which dogs are now required to be kept on a leash is in the ordinance area downtown, which doesn’t encompass Riverfront Park. Otherwise, dogs are only required to be under the control of the owner, not necessarily on a leash.
Spaid noted that citizens who wish to lodge complaints with police on the violation of leash laws need to be willing to act as witnesses in court since if police only arrive at the scene after the incident is over, the only way they can prosecute is through witness evidence.
He added that this also holds true for fireworks violations.
Marshall also raised concerns about conflicts between the new outdoor stage at Trails to Ales II and performances at the Barrow-Civic Theatre, as some outdoor concerts had occurred concurrently with events at the Barrow, and Barrow guests had noticed.
Marshall noted the brewery has agreed to move shows inside when the Barrow is having an event.
Deputy Mayor Donna Fletcher said she had heard about the Trails to Ales II stage possibly conflicting with music performances at Benjamin’s Roadhouse and Bella Cucina. She wondered if a modification of schedules so performances don’t overlap might be a solution if needed.
In another matter, Franklin resident Patricia Bell Miller addressed the council about speeding in the 1300 to 1400 block of Otter Street. Miller wondered if a second speed bump might be feasible closer to Buffalo Street, and Mayor Doug Baker told Miller he would see if the council could work with staff to alleviate the problem.
Jamieson suggested that a stop sign at 14th and Elk Streets might help control speeding.
The council unanimously approved a resolution to make the city the administering agency of a $1 million grant through the state Department of Community and Economic Development (DCED) for the Miller Hill and 15th Street waterlines and pump station project. The funding is part of the American Rescue Plan.
And the panel approved three Historical & Architectural Review Board certificates of appropriateness. They were for a new Buffalo Street door for 421 12th St, a sign on the front porch of 722 Wiley Ave., and signs at 1339 Liberty St.
