The Red Bank Swim Team needs the help of Erlanger North to tackle a parking problem. On four nights per year the swim team hosts a home event where upwards of 200+ cars arrive bringing swimmers from across town or another city. Available parking is quickly used up, Tom Weathers Drive is full of vehicles, and the Red Bank Community Center is typically packed as well.
In the past, parking at Erlanger Sleep Center has been available to our team for overflow parking. The sleep center/doctor's offices' patients after 5 p.m. typically use only a handful of parking spaces. We were thankful to benefit from the remaining spots.
Now a decision has been made to not avail that lot to our team out of concern for patient parking at the facility. Even though the swim team placed cones and signs to reserve ample front row parking for patrons of the sleep center, the edict came down that the vast empty parking lot is not available to the swim team events.
I want to urge Erlanger to revisit this decision and in the future allow the swim parents to park. It costs Erlanger nothing and it's only for four night per year.
Ken Thomas
President, Red Bank Swim Team
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Ken,
I have seen the same issue happen downtown with Erlanger. There is an organization that had an agreement to use some of the parking lot located across the street from Erlanger. Then all of a sudden, there was an issue with using said lot.
Needless to say, it caused quite a problem. Luckily, the subject was brought to the attention of the CEO of Erlanger (at the time) and it was resolved very quickly. Even though that person who fixed that issue is gone, hopefully, the current leadership will see your piece and do what is right.
I have always seen the main lot at Erlanger North with plenty of spaces. I would email the interim CEO and let her know about this issue. Maybe she doesn't even know the problem exists. Hopefully she will fix it. I would think that a public hospital would think of the public. Good luck.
Chris Welch
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Chris Welch states"I would think that a public hospital would think of the public." This fiscal year Erlanger would have thought of the public to the tune of $90,000,000. Add to that all the community outreach in the form of free screenings and corporate sponsorship of community events they do every year and I don't think you could find anyone in this town that thinks more of the public than they do.
I will not speculate on why they might have had to discontinue allowing the Red Bank swim team to use their parking garage, but I fail to see how it is Erlangers responsibility to provide the surrounding community with overflow parking.
If there is not enough parking for the Red Bank swim team maybe they should take it up with the city of Red Bank.
Kirk Schermerhorn
Hixson