NOTE TO DESK: Please indent or ital the quoted material shown in itals (third and fourth grafs)
On paper, the move of county offices in the old City Hall in Rogers to a new Walnut Street building formerly known as USA Drug looks like a no-brainer.
What’s The Point?
Initial concern over parking at Benton County’s new Rogers office needs to be approached with patience since the new site has five times the parking of the former location.
For years, the county's Rogers offices for tax collector, assessor and county clerk were at Third and Poplar, leased for $1 a year from the city, but County Judge Bob Clinard jumped at an opportunity to buy the former drug store. Other county officials, from county assessor to the tax collector, supported the move. Here's the description reported in news coverage back on Sept. 5, when Clinard advised the Quorum Court's Finance Committee he wanted to buy the then-vacant building:
"There are probably 11 or 12 parking spaces with the building at Third and Poplar, including handicapped spaces," Clinard said.
The site of the USA Drug building has room for more than 60 parking spaces. Clinard said the larger building will allow more space for voting during elections and provide better flow of people into and through the assessor's and collector's space in conjunction with the Revenue Office.
At the time, Collector Gloria Peterson said her employees were at times afraid to leave at lunch at the old location, out of fear they couldn't get a parking space once they returned.
Trading a dozen or so parking spaces downtown for 60 at the new, expanded offices? Problem solved, right?
Maybe not.
The Benton County Election Commission just the other day pondered whether it should seek out an additional early voting location in Rogers. Why? Commissioner Robbyn Tumey, at a recent meeting, said she spent an hour at the new location and heard nothing but complains about parking and waiting times. The problems could get worse once early voting for the May 20 primary kicks into gear, she feared.
One would have to expect the Walnut Street location to be a busier place than the old downtown location. It's easier to access by a significant degree. But parking complaints with 60 spaces?
Clinard said he's working with adjoining businesses to see if overflow parking can be available if it's needed, but a legitimate question remains about whether the problem is real and long lasting. There are hour-long periods at many places -- government or retail -- that seem almost overwhelming, but do not represent what the places is like most of the time.
Some county officials wonder if the opening of the Rogers office might have caused some confusion. Tena O'Brien, the county clerk, said some customers who would have normally conducted business at her main office, in Bentonville, could have gone to Rogers under a mistaken impression her entire office had moved there. O'Brien's office, which accepts ballots during early voting periods, still has three locations -- the county Administration Building in downtown Bentonville, the Rogers office and one in Siloam Springs.
The 60 parking spaces on Walnut Street would, it seems, be a great improvement over the former Poplar location. It includes several more spaces for those with disabilities, for example.
Ultimately, if the election doesn't go well, the commission will have to consider a separate early voting location for later elections, but it's worth waiting this one out to see how early voting goes at the new county office. It may be a short-term arrangement for shared parking could give employees a place to park a little farther away during heavier traffic periods such as early voting.
Our impression is the new location, while probably not perfect, will most likely be a significant improvement.
Commentary on 03/21/2014