Friday, July 24, 2009
Sunday, July 12, 2009
The Buxton Report
The Buxton Report was commissioned by the City of Big Bear Lake to evaluate our local retail marketplace. The original report was to be released as early as Sept. 2008.
A special meeting was posted on July 10 by the city to hold a workshop around the report on July 13, 2009 at 9:00 AM in the morning.
The current version of the report is available @ http://www.citybigbearlake.com/documents/IA071309sp.pdf
I fear this report and the data provided (Buxton Report dated July 13, 2009) may be interpreted by some as “Wow! We must be doing ok!” when in fact we are not. Or that the report says we need a Wal-Mart, when in fact it does not.
What the report fails to do is factor in the complex and unique retail marketplace that has evolved over our long and rich history, built, for the most part, by the seat of our pants. Our marketplace has developed and adapted from many directions and from the weight of many forces, but the common fuel for continued success has always been (as articulated in the Buxton Report) revenues from tourism.
What is not articulated in the report, but needs to a part of the conversation, is the actual demand for goods and services represented in the number of visitors to the Valley each year. Nor does the report estimate projected leakage of sales as we are able to increase tourism on weekdays and in shoulder seasons.
In my opinion, the best source of council for determining the need for infrastructure investments to our retail marketplace has always been from the many merchants, lodge and restaurant owners who have put in so many years of hard work to maintain the happy face of Big Bear Lake for the millions of visitors we greet each year. These valued members of the community know what no consultant can, and I am sure would be more than willing to advise the Council and it’s staff given the opportunity.
I believe all potential for our existing small businesses to prosper and for the growth of our retail sector to become a provider, instead of a backdrop, will be in our willingness to compete in the region at a much higher level, with focused goals, around a significant investment in retail infrastructure, and amenities provided our visitors, taking advantage of our natural landscape and quaint, small town atmosphere.
The report does clearly identify the excellent job our local retailers do in meeting the needs of their customers as outline in the leakage/surplus analysis and clearly identifies our target demographic (page 12 of the report) as one that is older, wealthier and a little more sophisticated, than to date, many of us have understood.
A special meeting was posted on July 10 by the city to hold a workshop around the report on July 13, 2009 at 9:00 AM in the morning.
The current version of the report is available @ http://www.citybigbearlake.com/documents/IA071309sp.pdf
I fear this report and the data provided (Buxton Report dated July 13, 2009) may be interpreted by some as “Wow! We must be doing ok!” when in fact we are not. Or that the report says we need a Wal-Mart, when in fact it does not.
What the report fails to do is factor in the complex and unique retail marketplace that has evolved over our long and rich history, built, for the most part, by the seat of our pants. Our marketplace has developed and adapted from many directions and from the weight of many forces, but the common fuel for continued success has always been (as articulated in the Buxton Report) revenues from tourism.
What is not articulated in the report, but needs to a part of the conversation, is the actual demand for goods and services represented in the number of visitors to the Valley each year. Nor does the report estimate projected leakage of sales as we are able to increase tourism on weekdays and in shoulder seasons.
In my opinion, the best source of council for determining the need for infrastructure investments to our retail marketplace has always been from the many merchants, lodge and restaurant owners who have put in so many years of hard work to maintain the happy face of Big Bear Lake for the millions of visitors we greet each year. These valued members of the community know what no consultant can, and I am sure would be more than willing to advise the Council and it’s staff given the opportunity.
I believe all potential for our existing small businesses to prosper and for the growth of our retail sector to become a provider, instead of a backdrop, will be in our willingness to compete in the region at a much higher level, with focused goals, around a significant investment in retail infrastructure, and amenities provided our visitors, taking advantage of our natural landscape and quaint, small town atmosphere.
The report does clearly identify the excellent job our local retailers do in meeting the needs of their customers as outline in the leakage/surplus analysis and clearly identifies our target demographic (page 12 of the report) as one that is older, wealthier and a little more sophisticated, than to date, many of us have understood.
Thursday, July 9, 2009
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.
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.
Wednesday, July 1, 2009
So Cal's Summer Vacation Plans
If there is any bright spot in the current economic downturn, it's the fact that many Southern California families are still going to take vacation this summer. AAA says that in fact vacation plans by Auto Club Members are off significantly compared to 2007 & 2008. http://news.aaa-calif.com/pr/aaa/summer-travel-survey-0609.aspx?ncid=6058
And sure there is belt tightening, but of the surveyed, only about 5% more than those surveyed in 2008 said they were going to spend less than last year while on vacation. But when you take into consideration that 40% of those surveyed are going to stay right here in California, there may be a bright spot in the numbers for Big Bear Lake.
Also in the survey, are some interesting hot buttons for vacation planners, something we have been trying to improve on when marketing our own marketplace here in Big Bear Lake.
"When rating highly important reasons for taking their first trip of this summer:
88 percent said the vacation destination was a highly important factor
73 percent cited cost
65 percent said entertainment/recreation
63 percent rated the ease of reaching the destination as highly important
57 percent cited proximity to family/friends
40 percent rated a friend’s/relative’s recommendation as highly important
40 percent cited a special event"
Big Bear Lake rates naturally high in several of these key areas or part of these areas. It would serve Retail Merchants, Lodges and Restaurants well to improve in weaker areas and then heavily promote our marketplace as the ideal vacation and leisure travel destination for Southern California on a permanent basis, all round.
Merchants, Restaurants and Lodges should be putting all their marketing efforts into letting leisure travel demographic know about just how Big Bear Lake fits into what they are looking for in a vacation or get-a-way.
And sure there is belt tightening, but of the surveyed, only about 5% more than those surveyed in 2008 said they were going to spend less than last year while on vacation. But when you take into consideration that 40% of those surveyed are going to stay right here in California, there may be a bright spot in the numbers for Big Bear Lake.
Also in the survey, are some interesting hot buttons for vacation planners, something we have been trying to improve on when marketing our own marketplace here in Big Bear Lake.
"When rating highly important reasons for taking their first trip of this summer:
88 percent said the vacation destination was a highly important factor
73 percent cited cost
65 percent said entertainment/recreation
63 percent rated the ease of reaching the destination as highly important
57 percent cited proximity to family/friends
40 percent rated a friend’s/relative’s recommendation as highly important
40 percent cited a special event"
Big Bear Lake rates naturally high in several of these key areas or part of these areas. It would serve Retail Merchants, Lodges and Restaurants well to improve in weaker areas and then heavily promote our marketplace as the ideal vacation and leisure travel destination for Southern California on a permanent basis, all round.
Merchants, Restaurants and Lodges should be putting all their marketing efforts into letting leisure travel demographic know about just how Big Bear Lake fits into what they are looking for in a vacation or get-a-way.
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