Will Caltrans Bridge Project Further Dampen Local Business?

Construction will begin in the next few days at the primary entrance to the Big Bear Valley. The Project is the new Bridge over Bear Creek that will replace the nearly 100 year old bridge that sits atop the dam. The project will not be completed until 2011. Caltrans has repeatedly reassured the business community in Big Bear Lake that next to safety, keeping the road open for valley visitors is top priority, while in the same breath tells us to expect significant traffic delays. Anybody that knows construction understands what is really being said.

The only way the road will be kept open to accommodate our visitors and the survival of local merchants is if it (keeping the road open) becomes the primary priority of Caltrans and the contractor, FCI. Be assured friends, it is not. In addition to a zero tolerance for traffic delays at the construction site, Caltrans needs to acknowledge the sensitive nature of our geographic constraints including the effect of road closures on local businesses, and successfully mitigate negative impact of delays and disruptions by overcoming them with effective counter measures, with the same zeal they are mandated to deal with safety issues. I am suggesting that some of the bridge budget be spent on advertising alternate routes to our community and offsetting the reporting of road closures and delays that will be inevitably aired ( for the next 2 years) on LA TV news broadcasts.

The 2 year bridge project could be the third wave of the perfect storm for small business in the valley. The first being our having little or no place in the Southern California Marketplace other than as a recreation destination. We do no marketing to attract regional shopping/dining customers, nor do we have any plans to develop new and attractive retail space with the amenities that modern customers have come to expect in regional shopping and dining. Contrasting recent record years in ticket sales and profits for the Ski Resorts, city-wide retail sales are off nearly 25% since a high water mark in 2006. This trend has been at work for 2 years before the current economic downturn.

The second wave is the current economic downturn. This will raise the stakes even higher in the competition for regional retail spending (visitors) that all valley merchants depend on in some way, to keep the doors open. Part 2 of the second wave is just on the horizon. A 1% increase in the State sales tax. This will likely add to folks keeping the brakes on when it comes to spending on the things our Valley merchants sell to make a living.

I've asked the City Council to step up and lead our business community, and in collaboration, quickly develop a new and aggressive marketing plan. The plan would include initially spending Improvement Agency and General Funds to kick start a new branding effort and to address development needs of core retail areas. Implementation of the plan would be an effort to curtail further decline in Valley retail sales and fight, in earnest, for our share of regional retail spending. In addition, the City needs to lead in the battle to keep our roads open as if our local economy's survival is at stake. I believe it is.

If we don't act now, it will be just too late for a certain number of businesses we need in place to successfully support a meaningful and diverse offering to visitors. If we don't act at all, it won't be because we didn't see it coming or didn't know what to do. Keeping our roads open for visitors is just one thing that can and must be accomplished, but by itself, will not prevent the continued current decline of Valley retail. Valley retail merchants, restaurants and lodging must seek it's own identify and seek improvements to the marketplace and growth for the sector for a chance to succeed today and in the future.