The More Things Change

Over the years, I’ve watched a few council sessions and planning workshops where at issue was just how strict the city should be when granting businesses the right to move into Old Town. At present, merchants must largely be able to prove themselves a viable retail operation.

All concerned want the most amount of foot traffic possible downtown, preferably foot traffic that is predisposed towards visiting multiple establishments and spending some money. For things like restaurants and coffee shops (I wish), it’s an easy call. However, things get dicey when, say, real estate or dental offices want to sign a lease.

After considerable discussion, the Planning Commission eventually tasked the city staff to clean up current language surrounding the definition of what a service retail business is. Naturally Old Town merchants would prefer a very strict interpretation of retail (i.e stuff to buy and cash registers) when it comes to ground floor spaces that face Main and El Camino. 

With so many empty lots downtown (shame, shame) and the city’s standing position on eminent domain (not in this life time), we can afford to be less picky about who moves in on the side streets (for now). But to fulfill the vision of busy Old Town nightlife, with folks strolling from restaurant to store enjoying ice cream cones and street musicians, the main drags must be drop-in customer friendly.

Maybe your idea of fun is different than mine, but last I checked, nobody grabs the kids after dinner and heads out on the town for a night of teeth cleaning and home equity loan paperwork. 

Unfortunately the phrase, “nothing much has really changed downtown” is often heard at these meetings. I have some thoughts on that and a possible remedy, which I’ll expand on next post. In the meantime, if you have any ideas on what types of businesses you feel should not be allowed to weigh anchor downtown, drop us a comment below. 

Comments