Columbus Town Council will be discussing alternatives for parking on Peak Street in response to citizens who have&bsp; recently expressed concern about trucks owned by a business taking up parking spaces for long periods of time and blocking visibility for drivers.

A public hearing will be held tonight during a council meeting that begins at 7 p.m. Council also plans to hold another public hearing in July and ask a N.C. Department of Transportation (DOT) official to survey the site and give suggestions.

Tile Specialties has been contacted regarding its trucks, which are frequently parked for long periods of time in the area. Town manager Tim Holloman says the owner is trying to comply by parking in other spaces. Columbus&squo; current regulations do not restrict parking in the area, so the trucks are parked legally.

Council discussed some safety concerns about sight distances at the corner of Mills and Peak streets, particularly in front of Bank of America.

During a recent special meeting, Holloman suggested taking seven of the current 10 spaces away, based on DOT standards. That would leave two regular parking spaces and one handicapped space. Some council members said there is already a lack of parking downtown.

The town plans to invite DOT officials to give an opinion next month on the safety aspect of parking at the corner of Mills and Peak streets. Columbus Police Chief Butch Kennedy said the town has been fortunate not to have had any accidents there.