Police chief spars with Cherry Street homeowner

[Dan Hildebran]

Starke Police Chief Gordon Smith debated a Cherry Street homeowner Tuesday night, when the resident tried to persuade the city commission to bar all commercial traffic on his street.

James Voiles, of  404 Cherry Street, told commissioners he moved to Starke from Middleburg in October.   Mr. Voiles said that while living in Clay County, at le ast  three people died near his home in automobile accidents, and that he hoped to escape such dangerous conditions by moving to Bradford County.    However, th e new Starke resident said that he, and his  three-year-old grandson that plays in the front yard, now face similar hazards because of commercial truck traffic traveling up and down Cherry Street.

“I go out to my mailbox on Cherry Street, he said,  “and all I've got are tractor-trailers going up and down the street.”  

And Mr. Voiles told commissioners he traced the commercial vehicles to one particular business. “I’ve talked to the truckers, and the majority of them are going to Teal Tile.”

The homeowner then asked the commission to pass an ordinance barring all commercial traffic from traveling on his street.

But Police Chief Gordon Smith told commissioners that much of the property on the west side of Cherry Street, including Teal Tile and Carpet, was zoned commerci al and that commercial truck drivers were permitted to drive to the Cherry Street business when making deliveries.

“It’s no different than when a semi pulls down Call Street to unload  movie reels at the movie theater,” said the chief.   “It’s no different than when they pul l up  to unload at the Office Shop.”

“Yes sir there is a difference,” interrupted the citizen.  “That’s business right there,” said Mr. Voiles, referring to Call Street deliveries.  “My house is no t a business.”

“Right.  But there are businesses on your street and there is zoned commercial property [on your street].”  The chief added that if the abandoned commercial pro perties north of  the tile business were ever occupied again, or if the Blowfish Plastics factory on North Cherry Street was ever fired up again, the commercial traffic on Cherry Street would get worse.”

“State law says they are allowed to take the shortest route to the place they are delivering to.”  Mr. Smith said that his department will ticket trucks traveli ng through Cherry, Church, and Water Streets that are not making deliveries on those roads, but he cannot prevent commercial vehicles from delivering goods to a ddresses on the streets.  

The chief then added that Mr. Voiles has employed  other tactics to solve the traffic problem on his street.

“He’s had confrontations with [the truck drivers],” the chief said of Mr. Voiles.  “He’s got out and hollered and they’ve hollered back.”

“During  the years I’ve been here,” said Mr. Smith to the homeowner,  “you are the only one who has come forward and made a complaint.”

“Those truckers have given me hand signals,” complained the homeowner.  

“But you’ve done the same.”

“Oh, no.”

You’ve admitted it to me, said the chief.

“No, I've [only] talked to them,” insisted Mr. Voiles.

Commissioner Larry Davis asked City Manager Ken Sauer to look into Mr. Voiles’s complaint.