Dear editor,

Doing business in downtown Hartselle has a couple of difficulties that business owners have to overcome. There is little to no room to expand, deliveries, parking and emergency services options are limited.

Two of our local businesses have thought outside the box to expand one option, but they have limited two other somewhat problematic areas. The business occupying the addresses of 117 and 119 Main St. and the business at 200 Main St. have come up with a unique approach to add more seating. These two businesses have fenced off the alleyways behind their business and placed tables with umbrellas for their customers.

While this has given them additional seating and the ambiance of sitting in an alley under an umbrella, and I understand that the alleyways are owned and “maintained” by the businesses on Main Street and are not maintained by the city, these alleyways are utilized for many personal reasons, with little or no regard to anything other than the business owners’ personal desires.

While these business owners went through the city to get permits to do this, I wonder where “Common Sense” was. It you were to look at the work done, the options delivery drivers have is limited. The options for Emergency Services is just as bad.

In time of emergency, the options for our police, our fire department and ambulance services is severely limited.

My question is: Is profit and ambiance in Hartselle worth more than our fellow citizens’ safety?

Don Sanders

Hartselle