By John Howell

City officials at Tuesday’s meeting scheduled a lengthy work session to resolve questions about Batesville Main Street’s proposals for the lot at the corner of Eureka Street and Public Square and about work under way at the wastewater treatment plant.

Designer Angela Clanton reported to the mayor and aldermen on Tuesday that Phase I of the renovation of the corner was completed with the west wall of the Will Polk Building being covered with a preservative coat and color. 

The wall had been exposed following the city’s purchase and demolition of the old service station building that formerly occupied the corner lot.

Clanton, who owns Illus Visual and Design Arts, works with Batesville Main Street and property owners in the downtown area. With Clanton was Batesville Main Street Manager Colleen Clark and Main Street board member Glenda Bailey.

“We are requesting that the city today consider taking on the planter box as Phase II of this public works project,” Clanton said.

“Phase III would then be the art wall itself,” the architectural designer said. “The Main Street program has approved that we would take on this art wall project as a public works program,” she said.

In November, Clanton had presented a conceptual design for “Gateway Park” at the corner that includes the renovated building wall, the planter and the art wall with a portion of the lot’s remaining space developed as a park and a portion turned into a wider Eureka Street entrance to the Square.

At the May 6 meeting, a business owner located on the Square asked city officials to reconsider plans for the park and asked that the area be developed to allow more parking spaces for his and other businesses on the southwest side of the Square.

Clanton said that the planter wall would project about four feet away from the renovated wall.

“There are a lot of opportunities here on this lot; … this Phase II would not be affected in any way no matter what is decided by the city on what to do with Eureka Street on that corner,” Clanton said.

 “The idea was to try to straighten that terrible curve,” said Alderman Bill Dugger, who said he wanted to avoid construction that might have to be removed to allow the street widening.

Clanton said that the proposed planter box would be far enough back from the street to avoid conflict with any street construction.

“We know that we might end up with only a sliver to work with,” Main Street board member Bailey said. “The two phases we’re talking about, nothing is going to hurt those two because if it did it would hurt the building.”

Aldermen voted to meet with Clanton, the Main Street representatives and city engineer Blake Mendrop at 11 a.m. June 3 for a work session to follow another work session that will start at 10 a.m. to discuss the wastewater treatment plant.

Work sessions are meetings held outside of regular meeting times to address specific issues. They are open to the public.