City officials voted to remove sidewalk benches from the 500 block of State Street after recurring complaints from business owners about repetitive drug deals conducted by individuals loitering on the benches.
""I don't feel safe walking from my car to my business. I've been both urinated on and thrown up on,"" Mondays owner Anna Garden said. ""I see drug dealing going on at this bench, and the one in front of Taco Bell.""
Mike Stone, Area Supervisor of Taco Bell and KFC on State Street, raised similar concerns, noting he had seen drug dealing in front of his establishment.
""I've had a lot of customer complaints about individuals sitting on the bench, from smoking on the bench, to smoke coming right inside, to drug dealing outside,"" Stone said.
Madison resident Rosemary Lee opposes the removal of the benches.
""As you remove more and more amenities, all you're doing, for the population that causes the most headaches, is shifting them around. They leave one part, they go to another,"" Lee said.
The State Street Design Project Oversight Committee agreed to place bike racks in place of the benches.
Officials unanimously voted for the bench removal and installation of bike racks, but required a follow-up report to ensure the removal of the benches improves the safety and environment of the 500 block.
