FOLEY – The city of Foley is adding more parking and better drainage to a list of improvements taking place along East Verbena Avenue.
The Foley City Council approved the work on the roadway, which is located east of Alabama 59.
Foley has already been improving sidewalks, lighting and the roadway at the site.
Mayor Ralph Hellmich said that work has increased the demand for parking near businesses in the area near the southern end of the Perry Wilboure Rose Trail.
“This has been very successful,” Hellmich said. “Parking has become a premium.”
An open ditch will be replaced by culverts. The covered ditch will also improve pedestrian access between the site and trails and other public areas nearby.
“We had some open ditches that kept pedestrians from walking,” Hellmich said. “We would improve that by putting in pipe and creating some gravel, permeable parking back there. It’s a lot of bang for the buck. It would allow people to park along that alley in the back and we’ll be able to do a lot of this work ourselves.”
Three restaurants are now located on the one-block area on East Verbena and another is planned. The improvements will help area businesses as well as providing more parking for people in the area.
“It’s another thing that our city does to help support local existing businesses,” Hellmich said. “Putting in this parking on the driveway will be exactly that, supporting our local businesses.”
The city also recently approved new sidewalks along Alabama 59 from the planned improvement site south to Centennial Bank.