WEST FARGO - Some businessmen here say the JL Beers restaurant has strained the available parking on Meyer Drive, and they want city officials to restrict parking to only one side of the street so traffic can flow through the area.
West Fargo commissioners are scheduled to discuss the proposal Monday. It requests a no-parking zone on the south side of Meyer Drive, with an exception for deliveries.
Meyer Drive is home to several businesses on a two-block stretch that connects on both ends with Prairie Parkway northwest of 13th Avenue South and Ninth Street East.
Through the winter, snow accumulations have made Meyer Drive even narrower than usual, and Charlie Lindstrom and John Wagner believe the problem stems from the arrival of JL Beers.
JL Beers' West Fargo location opened in December at 810 13th Ave. E., offering an alternative to the restaurant's original site in downtown Fargo.
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Lindstrom and Wagner both filed formal requests in March asking West Fargo commissioners to address the problem, noting it's "very frustrating for us as businesses."
Lindstrom and Wagner would not tell The Forum where they are employed and subsequently asked not to be quoted when they learned the business would be identified in this article.
A Forum archive and Web search shows both men work at the United Automotive Tech Center at 728 Meyer Drive across the street from JL Beers.
JL Beers co-owner Lance Thorson said he hasn't heard of any complaints about parking issues.
Thorson said he's asked his delivery drivers to come earlier in the day so there's a reduced chance of blocking traffic on Meyer Drive.
The building proposal approved by the city called for 30 parking spaces in JL Beers' lot - six more than the 24 the city requires, said West Fargo Building Inspector Mark Housh.
Because parking is allowed on both sides of Meyer Drive, through traffic is often reduced to one shared lane when the area is busy.
Other businesses on Meyer Drive feel the pinch, too, but not all agree that reducing the amount of parking on the roadway would be the best approach.
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"That would be so hard to deal with," said Janelle Finseth, owner of the West 13th Salon, 734 13th Ave. E.
"My lot is quite tiny, so my staff parks on the street," she said. "And I know a lot of other businesses have their employees park on the street so their lots are clear, too."
West Fargo officers have identified parking as an issue on Meyer Drive because of the narrower roadway during wintertime, said Assistant Police Chief Mike Reitan, but they've received no reported complaints from residents.
"While we expect the snowmelt will improve the parking somewhat, it is necessary to look at the parking and make some adjustments to allow traffic flow," Reitan said.
JL Beers ruffled feathers with its West Fargo neighbors last fall when it sought approval for a liquor license.
If you go
- What: West Fargo Commission meeting
- When: 5:30 p.m. Monday
Where: Commission chambers at City Hall, 800 4th Ave. E.
Info: Commission meetings are open to the public.
Readers can reach Forum reporter Kristen Daum at (701) 241-5541
