Mayor Brodeur has submitted plans to establish what he describes as a year-round outdoor dining patio on a portion of the city-owned parcel directly behind Rising Eagle, off Central Terrace. This plan, which was approved by the Legal & Legislative Committee last night, involves the land being leased out to a restaurant that would agree to establish such a patio. Our Committee, as ardent proponents of a more “pedestrian-friendly” downtown, supports this request, which reallocates space away from vehicle parking. It is critical that we continue to pursue more socially and economically productive uses of our Main Street real estate; by switching this use from car storage to outdoor dining, we feel that this request is a step forward in pursuit of those goals. Read our letter of support below:
March 22nd, 2021
Dear members of the Legal & Legislative Committee,
We are writing to you in support of ORDER-2021-99: Declaration of a Portion of City -Owned Land along Central Terrace as Surplus Property Available for Disposition via Lease Agreement.
One of our Committee’s main focus areas is promoting a pedestrian-friendly downtown by advocating for land use that puts people first. That’s why our members volunteered hundreds of hours last year to design and build the parklet on Main Street, transforming a few parking spaces into much-needed outdoor seating and boosting downtown foot traffic in the process. Downtown Main Street is the city’s primary commercial and social public square, and like any dense mixed-use neighborhood, foot traffic is its lifeblood. Currently, a great deal downtown land is dedicated to vehicle parking. The opportunity cost of that parking is considerable: it precludes more productive uses of land, like housing, restaurants, small businesses, and parks. Further, having large amounts of free parking encourages vehicle traffic, creating danger for pedestrians — especially children and the elderly — while harming residents and visitors with ever increasing amounts of air and noise pollution.
This order, should it succeed and be implemented, will undoubtedly improve the economic productivity of the parcel in question: more space for businesses means more customers, more local jobs, and more revenue for the city. But there are other benefits. By creating an opportunity for land use which focuses on people, the administration is investing in a vibrant, inviting downtown. Planning decisions which explicitly focus on encouraging human activity toward the storefronts, while encouraging parking to take place toward the periphery, can and will encourage greater numbers of guests to leave their cars at home for the night, instead experiencing the sights and sounds of Main Street by foot, scooter, bicycle, etc.
We encourage the administration, and the City Council, to continue to find ways to create space downtown for gathering, socialization, and public and commercial engagement. The “pedestrianization” of Central Terrace is another great example of a change which will create a better, healthier, and more sustainable Main Street. While these initiatives are particularly pressing during the ongoing pandemic, the demand existed long before, and their benefits will last well into the future.