2.) Consideration to Approve a Level 4 Special Event Permit for Temporary Activation of City-Owned Property within the Downtown Business Improvement District, Including Car-Free Use of Main Street on Sundays, to Facilitate a Phased Re-Opening of Business in Accordance with Utah Leads Guidelines and Social Distancing Requirements in an Amount Not to Exceed $80,000 per Special Event Fee Reduction Process and Municipal Code Section 4A-2-9; AND Delegate Authority to the City Manager to Approve Reasonable Modifications to Operational and Logistical Plans Associated with the Permit
(A) Public Hearing (B) Action
I tried to watch this meeting live but was unable to. My mother is from Switzerland and I travel there every summer and have noticed that almost every European city has adopted the concept of pedestrianization and the results have been very successful. Businesses have not lost customers, instead, they now sell their merchandise on the streets and there are outdoor restaurants that promote more tourists. Pedestrians spend 65% more money in businesses than drivers which would boost Main Street's local economy and drive tourism. In Park City, making Main Street pedestrian-only would increase the use of the free public buses and increase the home values in the surrounding old town areas. Pedestrianizing a street makes home values increase $82 a square foot and $300 in rent. This would also heavily reduce the harmful carbon emissions from vehicles and would help Park City reduce air pollution. If people drove one day less a week (in this case Sundays), it would reduce 3.8 million tons of greenhouse gas emissions a year, which is a HUGE amount. If we want to keep working at PC's sustainable goals and let it become the real mountain town that it was born to be, then we need to start now. Pedestrianizing Main Street is the perfect first step into an eco-friendly direction for the future of Park City.
I’m in support of a pedestrian, car free Main Street. I think testing this idea on Sundays is a good first step, but I’d encourage council to seriously consider Main Street being car free all the time. Of course I think it should be done with the input of fellow Parkites along with the business owners on Main Street. I’ve visited many mountain towns around the world with pedestrian streets and I’ve always wondered why we didn’t adopt the same vision here in Park City. My last trip to Chamonix, France I saw a folks milling around socializing and patronizing the local businesses in a way that I was quite jealous of. It’s great to have dinner outside On Main Street or browse the retail shops on... until a big diesel truck rolls by spewing exhaust. Can you imagine leisurely walking up and down main street browsing the stores, grabbing a bite or a drink and not having the noise or air pollution of cars driving by? I certainly can!
I think a carless Main St. is an excellent idea... safer social distancing, more room for restaurants to go al fresco, more room for street music, for stores to put their wares outside... I,m all in:)
Tina Smith
432 Woodside
Thank you for considering the possibilities surrounding a car-free Main Street. I hope with some trial runs we'll learn that a car-free Main Street can provide a stronger community feel and healthy business for our local shops and restaurants. This would make for less air pollution - and in my opinion - a far more pleasant and enjoyable experience on Main Street. This is an opportunity to experiment with the bold change our community has asked for surrounding transportation innovation, environmental leadership and sustainable tourism. This is absolutely worth testing out!
I believe that a car-free Main Street would not only improve our air quality, but also create a more walking-friendly environment that would attract more customers to Main Street businesses. Burlington, VT, Vail, and Boulder, CO, are a few examples of many car-free pedestrian zones that are constantly bustling with foot traffic. There is so little parking on Main Street as is that parking should not be a factor. The trolly, or something like it, could continue to run to provide access to Main Street business for people of all abilities. A car-free Main Street would only make it safer for all of us who love to call this town home.
While we all must support the revitalization of local business on Main Street; the plan presented today, needlessly justifies the ongoing misuse of our residential streets in doing so. ? A car-free Main Street doesn’t need to put more cars on our residential streets if we follow simple rules to do otherwise. Traffic on Hillside Avenue can easily be directed away from the residential neighborhood with permanent signage on Marsac. So why not do it now? I really think it’s important for the city to re-build Park City’s fortunes as a whole community. The 2020 visioning process would agree. This is a first step to rebalance a community with a bold change that is also sustainable.
I'm proud to call Park City home for many reasons, especially for the environmental leadership. I urge the council to test a car free Main Street and consider making it a permanent feature. A car free Main St. is a way for folks to support local businesses during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. We would feel more comfortable dining and shopping outdoors. It would also protect bikers and pedestrians from air pollution. It would further establish Park City as a leader in mountain towns in the US.
Regarding closing Main.
Your staff report regarding this promotes and encourages that Hillside Ave, the narrowest residential street in Old Town be used as a short-cut for vehicles of all kinds to access the top of Main St for commercial events. Do you agree this is a good idea, or should this Historic Residential street that was narrowed to 15 feet for resident use only 10 years ago be protected from further commercial traffic abuse that this plan advocates?"
I tried to watch this meeting live but was unable to. My mother is from Switzerland and I travel there every summer and have noticed that almost every European city has adopted the concept of pedestrianization and the results have been very successful. Businesses have not lost customers, instead, they now sell their merchandise on the streets and there are outdoor restaurants that promote more tourists. Pedestrians spend 65% more money in businesses than drivers which would boost Main Street's local economy and drive tourism. In Park City, making Main Street pedestrian-only would increase the use of the free public buses and increase the home values in the surrounding old town areas. Pedestrianizing a street makes home values increase $82 a square foot and $300 in rent. This would also heavily reduce the harmful carbon emissions from vehicles and would help Park City reduce air pollution. If people drove one day less a week (in this case Sundays), it would reduce 3.8 million tons of greenhouse gas emissions a year, which is a HUGE amount. If we want to keep working at PC's sustainable goals and let it become the real mountain town that it was born to be, then we need to start now. Pedestrianizing Main Street is the perfect first step into an eco-friendly direction for the future of Park City.
I’m in support of a pedestrian, car free Main Street. I think testing this idea on Sundays is a good first step, but I’d encourage council to seriously consider Main Street being car free all the time. Of course I think it should be done with the input of fellow Parkites along with the business owners on Main Street. I’ve visited many mountain towns around the world with pedestrian streets and I’ve always wondered why we didn’t adopt the same vision here in Park City. My last trip to Chamonix, France I saw a folks milling around socializing and patronizing the local businesses in a way that I was quite jealous of. It’s great to have dinner outside On Main Street or browse the retail shops on... until a big diesel truck rolls by spewing exhaust. Can you imagine leisurely walking up and down main street browsing the stores, grabbing a bite or a drink and not having the noise or air pollution of cars driving by? I certainly can!
I think a carless Main St. is an excellent idea... safer social distancing, more room for restaurants to go al fresco, more room for street music, for stores to put their wares outside... I,m all in:)
Tina Smith
432 Woodside
Thank you for considering the possibilities surrounding a car-free Main Street. I hope with some trial runs we'll learn that a car-free Main Street can provide a stronger community feel and healthy business for our local shops and restaurants. This would make for less air pollution - and in my opinion - a far more pleasant and enjoyable experience on Main Street. This is an opportunity to experiment with the bold change our community has asked for surrounding transportation innovation, environmental leadership and sustainable tourism. This is absolutely worth testing out!
Sincerest thanks,
Heather Currie
I believe that a car-free Main Street would not only improve our air quality, but also create a more walking-friendly environment that would attract more customers to Main Street businesses. Burlington, VT, Vail, and Boulder, CO, are a few examples of many car-free pedestrian zones that are constantly bustling with foot traffic. There is so little parking on Main Street as is that parking should not be a factor. The trolly, or something like it, could continue to run to provide access to Main Street business for people of all abilities. A car-free Main Street would only make it safer for all of us who love to call this town home.
While we all must support the revitalization of local business on Main Street; the plan presented today, needlessly justifies the ongoing misuse of our residential streets in doing so. ? A car-free Main Street doesn’t need to put more cars on our residential streets if we follow simple rules to do otherwise. Traffic on Hillside Avenue can easily be directed away from the residential neighborhood with permanent signage on Marsac. So why not do it now? I really think it’s important for the city to re-build Park City’s fortunes as a whole community. The 2020 visioning process would agree. This is a first step to rebalance a community with a bold change that is also sustainable.
I'm proud to call Park City home for many reasons, especially for the environmental leadership. I urge the council to test a car free Main Street and consider making it a permanent feature. A car free Main St. is a way for folks to support local businesses during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. We would feel more comfortable dining and shopping outdoors. It would also protect bikers and pedestrians from air pollution. It would further establish Park City as a leader in mountain towns in the US.
Regarding closing Main.
Your staff report regarding this promotes and encourages that Hillside Ave, the narrowest residential street in Old Town be used as a short-cut for vehicles of all kinds to access the top of Main St for commercial events. Do you agree this is a good idea, or should this Historic Residential street that was narrowed to 15 feet for resident use only 10 years ago be protected from further commercial traffic abuse that this plan advocates?"