Mitigate Parking and Circulation during Special Events?

Nearly everybody agrees the Special Events can attract more visitors to our mountain community. I can’t believe that any less would not agree that every negative impact any event brings with it should be mitigated to offset that impact so that the net outcome of the event is one that all can enjoy and be proud of.

A favorite expression of some, ‘if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it’ is fair enough in context, however, if we are all just used to operating a broken or inefficiently outdated tool and just don’t consider it ‘broke’, it is nonetheless, broke. If ‘it’ is intended to make life better, or easier, it would be quite appropriate to go ahead and make repairs or even replacement to insure the desired outcome. Even if reworking existing event plans require some investment of resources to achieve a mutually successful experience.

In the case of major events in the Village, (the upcoming Car Show as an example) to go through the planning process without including into the event plan, worthwhile and effective mitigation measures that would offset negative impact on commercial and residential tenants, businesses, parking, pedestrian and vehicular access and loss of revenues for any number of brick and mortar merchants who have but a fixed number of weekends in the year to make the rent, is simply unjust.

To elaborate the point; The Car Show takes up nearly all the parking on Village Dr. Pine Knot Ave and the entire Bartlett Parking Lot. To replace lost parking (mitigate the negative impact on infrastructure function) the Event Planner will:
1. Provide the same number of parking places where?
2. Provide free shuttles from parking to where?
3. etc.

I have heard the myth that some merchants just choose to complain about everything. I rebuke that myth as an excuse for us not to take time to do the best job possible. The concept that any merchant is just out to keep any special event from being successful is no truer than the concept of any special event intending harm or disrespect to any merchant or economic sector. This argument should not be allowed the oxygen it takes to say the words.

I believe that the focus of the Planning Commission and Event Planners should be to proactively identify all potentially negative impacts of any special event on all those affected, and successfully mitigate those impacts to the benefit of the event and the community, by avoiding disruption to affected businesses and residential neighborhoods.

In my opinion, we do not do enough in the way of mitigating even the long standing, well identified negative impacts of major events in the Village, like the issue of parking capacity and pedestrian circulation. These are not complex issues and can be readily addressed if made a priority during the planning process.

Many of our Village Merchants are truly struggling to stay afloat at this writing. Weekends in the summer need to be considered no less than sacred ground when considering the deletion of parking spaces and hindering vehicular and pedestrian traffic.

A new level of understanding in needed on the part of Event Planners and City Planning Staff, to raise the level of support for, and doing what it can to enhance the economic survival of our small business community now and in the future.