Wiggins: Property In Downtown Could Be Used To Address Parking Issue

A piece of land in Monterey’s downtown could be used as additional parking as well as a spot for electric vehicle infrastructure.

That’s the hope of Alderman Bill Wiggins. Wiggins presented the idea to the board of alderman with the idea to better utilize a long-vacated property near South Holly and South Chesnut Streets.

“And we thought that would be a likely spot to create a public parking area and combine that with a sidewalk project up Holly and up Chestnut,” Wiggins said. “Connecting to the sidewalks leading off Commercial Avenue to provide folks some access.”

Wiggins said with the hope of reinvigorating the downtown area, addressing the cramped parking situation will be the first step. He said the next step will be to get engineering services and resurface the property to create more parking.

Wiggins said he believes the land would be an ideal stop for the state’s electric vehicle infrastructure project due to its proximity to I-40, Highway 111, and Highway 70. He said he and Mayor Nathan Walker are working to contact the state for more information to see what the next steps are for the potential for electric vehicles.

“It’ll also bring more people into the downtown area,” Wiggins said. “They sit and wait or go downtown and shop while waiting for their vehicles to get new energy. So that’s our thinking.”

The town of Monterey owns the property and had been leasing it to businesses in town. Wiggins said now that the businesses no longer utilize the property, he hopes the city can turn into something useful.