By Hub City Times staff

MARSHFIELD – Marshfield aldermen are putting off the possible development of a former skating rink which is now used for parking near Beell Stadium.

The common council voted Oct. 9 to table the possible sale of property at the corner of Eighth Street and Hemlock Avenue for at least one year.

In August, the council entertained offers for residential developments on the triangular-shaped parcel and that got the attention of nearby residents, who said valuable parking would be lost for an area that’s already got parking and safety issues. Residents who live there say the parking issue has caused safety concerns at Eighth and Hemlock, and nearby Eighth and Palmetto Avenue.

Alderman Tom Witzel said the issue needs more study, and the city should wait for the impacts of the changes in athletic facilities the Marshfield School District is making at both the middle and high schools.

“So we can see what traffic looks like; so we can see what happens after a complex is built at the high school,” he said. “I would move to table this for a minimum of one year.”

The council voted 8-2, with Tom Buttke and Steve Mac Swain voting no, to table the matter for a year.

The city had put out a request for proposals for placing housing on the empty lot. The city got one proposal, and that came from Marshfield Area Habitat for Humanity.