Several business and building owners from Watson Industrial Park came before the Crestwood Board of Aldermen during public comment at its July 25 meeting to voice their concerns.

David Hercules first came before the board to suggest that it consider using some of the money from the Community Development Block Grant funds to enhance the public safety of the crossing at Watson Industrial Park from the new bridge that crosses the creek to Grant’s Trail. According to Hercules, this crossing is “inherently dangerous” as there are no markings or signage to indicate that there is a crosswalk.

“A real safety issue has been created by the installation of the connection across the creek and through the industrial park,” Hercules said. “This would be a perfect use for some of this money, in my opinion, to mark the street, potentially put a flashing yellow light, put some signage to alert the many trucks (and) many delivery drivers that zoom through that park having no idea that there’s public access across the road.”

Mayor Scott Shipley responded that there are a lot of requirements on how the city is allowed to use the CDBG funds, though he thought the proposal was a “good point.”

Hercules later brought up another bridge at the park’s entrance off Watson Road, which crosses Gravois Creek.

“We know that there was an agreement that Crestwood would inspect that bridge regularly for safety since now public works vehicles are traversing that bridge on a daily basis, some rather heavy vehicles. We have concerns that it wasn’t necessarily designed to handle the amount of load that’s happening … I know I’ve walked under that bridge, there’s giant chunks of concrete that have already come off the bottom of the bridge, it is deteriorating,” Hercules said.

He then asked if a recent inspection had been performed, and if so, when would a copy of said inspection report be available. No response was given by the board as it was the public comment section.

Hercules next wanted an update on the Neighborhood Improvement District process regarding the industrial park.

“Our understanding was that by summertime, which we’re kind of most of the way through now, we would have a copy of said NID, that we could get that in place and move forward with the proposed improvements to the industrial park, but we have yet to see that and don’t have a timeline for when we will receive that,” he said.

Finally, Hercules brought up the issue of the assessments for the industrial park.

“I don’t think I can overstate the angst that several building owners have expressed regarding the refusal of Crestwood to abide by the indentures that have been in place since the 1950s in Watson Industrial Park,” Hercules said. “Since Crestwood has moved into the neighborhood, so to speak, with (the) Public Works building, (they) have simply refused to pay the assessments that the rest of us building owners have paid every single year since 1953. We have no idea why. You may point to some legal justification as to why your insurance will cover over it, or whatever explanation, but there’s a difference between… (a) legal loophole and what’s right.”

Mike Meyers, business owner and president of the owners association for Watson Industrial Park, also spoke to the board, addressing similar concerns.

“We have to insure the industrial park,” Meyers said. “And myself, as president of the association, has to call our insurer just in a matter of days and tell them we do have a pedestrian bridge and people crossing that private street. We want to know what kind of liabilities you guys are going to accept and what you’re going to do to limit those liabilities. We were told nothing.”

Meyers emphasized Hercules’ earlier points about the NID and Crestwood not paying their assessment. He also mentioned that he has been the president of the association for 16 years, so he did not know why no one from the city knew who to communicate with.

“We want to take a kinder, gentler approach, but you guys have given us the finger, pardon my language, but you all are,” Meyers said. “It’s a big issue and it’s a big problem and we need a resolve now. Please.”

Editor’s note: In an email Aug. 10 to The Call, Mayor Shipley said he provided the Watson Industrial Park representatives with business cards to find a time to set up a future meeting to discuss “a lot of great points” raised by the representatives at the Board of Aldermen meeting, and to “hit the big reset button and see what we can do.”