Members of the Charleston Neighborhood Council, who are opposed to the possible widening of Fourth Street, plan on being present at today’s City Council meeting to discuss their issues with improving the road.

Mayor Dan Cougill said because the City Council has not yet made any plans to improve Fourth Street, except for the Fourth Street Bridge, they cannot take any action with the Charleston Neighborhood Council at this time.

When the City Council does decide to make plans for Fourth Street from Polk Avenue to Harrison Avenue, it will hold public hearings so residents can voice their opinions, Cougill said.

The earliest the city plans to begin any construction on that section of Fourth Street is the summer of 2002, depending on how well the public hearings proceed, said City Manager Bill Riebe.

“We are so early in the game here, I just don’t know how it is going to shake out,” Riebe said.

The city would like to keep in mind the interests of people who drive, bike, walk and live on Fourth Street, Riebe said.

According to 1994 data, the intersection of Fourth Street and Lincoln Avenue has 9,100 vehicles per day, as opposed to the intersection of Seventh Street and Lincoln which has 3,900 cars per day, Riebe said. Although the city does plan to improve on Fourth Street, it is unclear what steps need to be taken at this time.

“Fourth Street is a busy street, and it is in a real state of disrepair,” Riebe said.

The city does plan to go ahead with improvements on the Fourth Street Bridge, which includes widening the bridge to 30 feet.

“That project has to go through. That bridge is on the verge of failure,” Riebe said.

The width of the bridge does not dictate what width the rest of Fourth Street needs to be, Riebe said. The widening of the bridge may include adding in sidewalks.

“A 30 foot wide bridge is not unreasonable,” Riebe said.

If the city were to widen Fourth Street, it would be no more than 3 feet on each side, and it would not add any extra lanes, Riebe said.

In other business, the City Council will proclaim April 2001 as Diversity Month along with Eastern’s Student Government. The Student Government is working with the city on setting up a cultural diversity fesitval on the square, Cougill said.

“You can always improve your acceptance of another human being,” Cougill said.

In other business, the City Council will vote on an annexation of property on the northwest side of Polk Avenue owned by David and Darin Haworth.

Also on the agenda is an ordinance to close Sixth Street between Olive and Locust avenues. The land could be used by the community center Ted’s Warehouse to use as a recreation area, Cougill previously said.