I grew up in Tioga County right outside of Wellsboro. I never attended a Borough Council meeting, though I did attend a township meeting when I lived in Delmar Township. My first Borough meeting was Monday, October 13th.
The Wellsboro Borough Council meets the 2nd and 4th Mondays of the month at 6:00 p.m. in the Council meeting room of the Borough Office at 14 Crafton Street. It’s generally pretty boring stuff, but I did think of a tidbit of information that I thought might be of interest to Tioga Freedomist readers.
David Tews who owns Indigo Wireless attended the meeting to address the parking issue on Main St. Wellsboro. His wife owns The Fifth Season which is in the same building as the Deane Center.
He mentioned that when there are events at the Deane Center that Main St. parking is often taken up, and it impedes parking for customers at the Fifth Season. In many ways it’s a good problem to have, but I do agree that parking on Main St. can be a difficult.
I loved coming to Main St. when I was growing up in Wellsboro, and we are lucky to still have a vibrant Main Street in the age of internet and big box stores. I’m glad the Deane Center is taking off, and David Tews is too. He’s a big supporter, but for Wellsboro to stay strong, we need a strong Main St.
I want Main Street to be busy, but I don’t want a lack of parking to turn people away. Here are some options that some readers may not be aware are available. Citizens & Northern Bank is right next to the Deane Center.
The bank is open Saturday, but only until noon. There’s a parking lot for customers right behind the bank. There is also a parking lot for employees on the corner of Water Street and Jackson Street.
The bank doesn’t use this space after closed hours, and it’s both close to the Deane Center and the rest of downtown. There’s municipal parking on Pearl Street, but most people around these parts probably know about it. It tends to fill up fast, but depending on the time of day, you can find a spot.
There is also parking available on the side streets. These aren’t taken as quickly as the Main Street spots, and usually available. Also on the other end of town on Water Street and Queen there is space available in the Laurel Health parking lot after hours, and in colder months there is usually some parking available at Packer Park parking lot, which is on Queen Street between the Senior Center and the post office.
Parking is something I too worry about, because I do have a retail store on Main Street. My wife and I run From My Shelf Books& Gifts. The store we rent didn’t come with any parking spots, but we don’t park on Main Street, because it’s not conducive to customers, and neither do our employees.
We rent a spot from the United Methodist Church on the corner of Main Street and Queen Street. It’s reasonable rent, and cheaper than a parking ticket. I know they have some spots available.
If you are a small business owner in town, without parking, you might want to check it out. The Baptist Church on the corner of Pearl Street and Central Avenue rents some spots, but the last I knew, there was a waiting list.
The face of Wellsboro’s Main Street may have changed from when I was growing up. There’s no Five and Dime store. There’s no Western Auto, and I can’t get a sub from Cuda’s, but there are still a few stores left, even if it's not the Main Street I knew growing up. We could make it vibrant.
I’ve worked on building the type of bookstore I wish were here when I was growing up, and with my wife, some good employees, and some help from a couple of cats, I think I have. I’m happy to be a part of my hometown. Let’s see if we can work towards a better parking solution and enjoy it together…
Gaslight magnets and key chains available at From My Shelf Books & Gifts
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