MONROE - Closing the Square for special events may benefit attendees, but it may be hurting local businesses.
That's a topic Sherrill Kelly, president of the Business Improvement District (BID) Board of Directors, wants to explore.
When the Public Safety Committee discussed approving special events at its May 5 meeting, it determined its realm ends with safety issues.
Complaints about events hindering downtown business parking and sales needed to be dealt with by the BID board, the committee said.
Kelly, who owns Uptown Girl, took up the challenge.
"I'm going to urge them to put their heads together and increase awareness of the situation," she said about her board's meeting tonight.
Kelly said the subject of closing the Square for special events has "mushroomed."
"I brought it up at an earlier BID meeting. I just asked who had oversight when people asked to shut down the entire Square (for smaller events)," she said. "The Safety Committee is not in the position to make that decision. I get the feeling they're going to ask BID to make that decision. I don't know if BID can make that decision, either."
The BID board meets tonight, but Kelly said she did not expect any decision to be made.
According to some business owners, closing the Square is a physical hardship for customers and a financial hardship for business owners.
Kelly compared closing the Square to closing Eighth Street from Wisconsin 69 to Taco Bell.
"Those are large stores with stockholders, but I don't think they'd like it," she said. "But it's just as hard for individual owners."
Kelly said she has lost as much a $2,000 in gross sales due to street closings around the Square.
Closing the Square is "not fair to merchants. Saturday is the best shopping day," Kelly said. "There are other store owners not any happier than I am."
BID board member Barb Gelbach, owner of Das Baumhaus, is focused on the issue of keeping the Square accessible for the handicapped.
She suggests street closings on the Square run "kitty-corner, instead of a block away.
"That way, people can still get up onto the Square," she said.
The kitty-corner idea allows vehicles to get to the Square to drop off passengers, and still make right-hand turns, she said.
People "get stuck" when streets are closed at alleyways beyond the Square, creating dead ends where people have to turn around, she said.
Gelbach said she has no problems with the inside part of the Square being closed, because it leaves the street in front of stores open for parking.
Cherie Hughes, owner of the Dilly Bean, said there are a few options the BID board can talk about.
"All those issues will be brought up (at the meeting)," she said.
Hughes sees the main issue as being the size of an event and how much room is really needed.
"They close the Square when it's not big enough to warrant it," she said.
Hughes suggests event coordinators start small, use just the inner Square area and "let it grow."
"It's hard to park down here; and I think it's even hard on the event," Hughes said. "Why walk down here?"
In business for eight years, Hughes said it's hard to account for how events and street closings affect her business, because they are the same ones every year.
Hughes also suggested the north and south streets be closed, leaving two streets running, if safety considerations allow it.
"We need to learn about that," she said.
Kelly, Gelbach and Hughes don't oppose closing the Square for large events, like Cheese Days and the Concert on the Square, if they are filling the street with attendees.
"They shut down a piece, but seeing how many people showed up (for the Concert on the Square), the police blocked off more ... all the north side," Kelly said. And she does not object to that.
Gelbach thinks the reverse situation should hold to the same process.
"If there aren't enough (people), then open it back up," she said.
Kelly recalled one event that "easily could have been inside the Square. But not only the entire Square was blocked off, but the library parking lot also was blocked," she said.
Kelly said she called Police Chief Fred Kelley and asked what the criteria are.
People apply for special event permits at the city clerk's office. City Clerk Carol Stamm said the applications are filled out and are sent to Kelley for his review. If all safety considerations pass the review, the application goes to the Public Safety Committee for its recommendation, and then the entire City Council votes to allow the event.
Kelly said she would like to see a scale map of the city that people can use "as a tool for planning events" and for seeing if the whole Square is needed, while applying for permits.
People attending City Council meetings when event permits come up for a vote is another suggestion for discussion Kelly is considering.
That's a topic Sherrill Kelly, president of the Business Improvement District (BID) Board of Directors, wants to explore.
When the Public Safety Committee discussed approving special events at its May 5 meeting, it determined its realm ends with safety issues.
Complaints about events hindering downtown business parking and sales needed to be dealt with by the BID board, the committee said.
Kelly, who owns Uptown Girl, took up the challenge.
"I'm going to urge them to put their heads together and increase awareness of the situation," she said about her board's meeting tonight.
Kelly said the subject of closing the Square for special events has "mushroomed."
"I brought it up at an earlier BID meeting. I just asked who had oversight when people asked to shut down the entire Square (for smaller events)," she said. "The Safety Committee is not in the position to make that decision. I get the feeling they're going to ask BID to make that decision. I don't know if BID can make that decision, either."
The BID board meets tonight, but Kelly said she did not expect any decision to be made.
According to some business owners, closing the Square is a physical hardship for customers and a financial hardship for business owners.
Kelly compared closing the Square to closing Eighth Street from Wisconsin 69 to Taco Bell.
"Those are large stores with stockholders, but I don't think they'd like it," she said. "But it's just as hard for individual owners."
Kelly said she has lost as much a $2,000 in gross sales due to street closings around the Square.
Closing the Square is "not fair to merchants. Saturday is the best shopping day," Kelly said. "There are other store owners not any happier than I am."
BID board member Barb Gelbach, owner of Das Baumhaus, is focused on the issue of keeping the Square accessible for the handicapped.
She suggests street closings on the Square run "kitty-corner, instead of a block away.
"That way, people can still get up onto the Square," she said.
The kitty-corner idea allows vehicles to get to the Square to drop off passengers, and still make right-hand turns, she said.
People "get stuck" when streets are closed at alleyways beyond the Square, creating dead ends where people have to turn around, she said.
Gelbach said she has no problems with the inside part of the Square being closed, because it leaves the street in front of stores open for parking.
Cherie Hughes, owner of the Dilly Bean, said there are a few options the BID board can talk about.
"All those issues will be brought up (at the meeting)," she said.
Hughes sees the main issue as being the size of an event and how much room is really needed.
"They close the Square when it's not big enough to warrant it," she said.
Hughes suggests event coordinators start small, use just the inner Square area and "let it grow."
"It's hard to park down here; and I think it's even hard on the event," Hughes said. "Why walk down here?"
In business for eight years, Hughes said it's hard to account for how events and street closings affect her business, because they are the same ones every year.
Hughes also suggested the north and south streets be closed, leaving two streets running, if safety considerations allow it.
"We need to learn about that," she said.
Kelly, Gelbach and Hughes don't oppose closing the Square for large events, like Cheese Days and the Concert on the Square, if they are filling the street with attendees.
"They shut down a piece, but seeing how many people showed up (for the Concert on the Square), the police blocked off more ... all the north side," Kelly said. And she does not object to that.
Gelbach thinks the reverse situation should hold to the same process.
"If there aren't enough (people), then open it back up," she said.
Kelly recalled one event that "easily could have been inside the Square. But not only the entire Square was blocked off, but the library parking lot also was blocked," she said.
Kelly said she called Police Chief Fred Kelley and asked what the criteria are.
People apply for special event permits at the city clerk's office. City Clerk Carol Stamm said the applications are filled out and are sent to Kelley for his review. If all safety considerations pass the review, the application goes to the Public Safety Committee for its recommendation, and then the entire City Council votes to allow the event.
Kelly said she would like to see a scale map of the city that people can use "as a tool for planning events" and for seeing if the whole Square is needed, while applying for permits.
People attending City Council meetings when event permits come up for a vote is another suggestion for discussion Kelly is considering.