The Planning and Development Department tonight presented a revised proposal to council, one that would allow merchandise to be displayed on the avenue Friday through Sunday.
The other change significant change in the revised ordinance is that merchandise would only be allowed along the street or sidewalk within a third of the length of a business’s frontage, notes a memo from Planning and Development Director Amanda Jarratt to council.
Other restrictions including the exclusion of upholstered furniture, mattresses, electronics, animals or livestock and appliances still apply. Businesses would be able to temporarily load or unload items in the front if there is no alley access, the memo says.
Lawson, after listening to several avenue business owners, said he believed the proposal should be changed to allow merchandise to be displayed Monday through Saturday.
Lawson supported that proposal at council’s work session last week and reiterated his position tonight. “I made it clear we’re trying to think about businesses. Not everyone can afford to advertise. It’s important we consider businesses are struggling. I’d like to see it Monday through Saturday. That would be my position.”
Councilman Carl Ferebee said after listening to the concerns of business owners, he would like to table the matter until council’s October work session so the panel can discuss Lawson’s proposal further.
During public comment, which came before council discussion of the matter, several business owners spoke of the need to have merchandise displayed.
Main Street Director Charles Williams urged council to listen to their concerns.
Steve Allgood, of Allgood General Store, said when the city began enforcing the current ordinance, his business suffered. “The first week the ordinance was enforced, I had 38 customers. I average about 200.”
When he learned there was no weekend enforcement he put merchandise on the sidewalk and the weekend traffic made up 50 percent of his sales.
George Brooks, who is renovating Java Junction, said, “I’ve got so many calls telling me what I couldn’t do before anyone knew what was I trying to do.”
Joseph Elequan, who owns Joe ATV and a dollar store, said he gets customers from Virginia and North Carolina. Enforcement of the current ordinance meant no customers, he said. “I hope everything will be changed for us. We need help on the avenue. That’s what was bringing everybody in.”
Jim Garrett told council said council needed to weigh beauty or business on the avenue. He said, however, “Just because you don’t like the way it looks is not a good reason.”
Garrett said the city was trying to micromanage business in the community. “Government doesn’t have that right.”
There is to be no profanity and there is to be no character assassination even if the person being written about is a suspect in a crime.
Comments that presume knowledge of a person’s home life, financial situation or other personal details will be not be posted as will comments which presume legal knowledge.
All comments must be on the topic of the story and offer the reader’s insight on a particular issue. rrspin.com will cease posting comments if the editor determines readers are infighting with one another and not staying on the topic of a story.
rrspin.com prefers readers use their real names because anonymous posters are accountable for their comments just as readers who post their names are.