Courthouse parking on 12th Street may disappear
At the request of the U.S. Marshals Service, the city of Columbus is considering eliminating on-street parking in front of the U.S. Federal Courthouse/Post Office on 12th Street, Columbus Council was told Tuesday night.
The USMS contacted the city and asked that the parking be eliminated so as to move the curbside out into 12th Street to make the federal building farther from the street. Federal regulations now state that a courthouse should be 50 feet from the fronting roadway, and the courthouse is now only about 40 feet from the 12th Street curb. Removing the parking would extend that to 46 feet, according to city documents presented to council.
If councilors approve the ordinance, which was on first reading Tuesday night, it would eliminate the five parallel parking spaces in front of the courthouse. The spaces currently have 15-minute limits.
The change is part of an ongoing U.S. Courthouse and Post Office security renovation program.
Council can hold a second reading and a vote on the ordinance at next Tuesday’s special called work session.
This story was originally published March 23, 2016 at 12:02 PM with the headline "Courthouse parking on 12th Street may disappear."