HomeMy WebLinkAboutED Farmers' Market Festival Road Closure 2009CITY OF
SAN RAFAEL
AGENDA ITEM NO.: -J o
MEETING DATE: February 17, 2009
REPORT TO MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL
SUBJECT: Approve Resolution Authorizing the Temporary Closure of City Streets for the Weekly Downtown
Farmers' Market Festival on Thursday
Evenings from April 2 - September 24, 2009
SUBMITTED BYa APPROVED BY:
Nancy Mackle, Economic Development Director n Nordhoff, City Manager
RECOMMENDATION: Adopt resolution authorizing street closures for the 2009 Downtown
Farmers' Market Festival on Thursday evenings from April 2 - September 24, 2009.
DISCUSSION: 2008 was another successful season for the Downtown Farmers' Market Festival.
A new start and finish time (5:00pm — 8:00pm) was initiated on a trial basis this past season, to
encourage additional family participation. This time change was in fact on target with its goal of
bringing larger groups of families Downtown. This is beneficial to the market's success and
therefore to the promotional efforts for the Downtown. There were no impacts from traffic or
parking for this time change.
Looking forward to the 2009 season, however, it is important to be sensitive to our critical
economic situation across the entire nation. The earlier market hours mean an earlier street closure,
impacting some businesses negatively during their peak shopping hours. The Business
Improvement District Board voted on February 5th to request a return to the 6:00pm — 9:00pm hours
for the Market in order to avoid any additional financial hardship on Downtown merchants.
Staff is supporting a return to the original market time schedule from 6:00pm — 9:00pm, with street
closures to be initiated at 5:00pm for the season. This return to the traditional time will allow the
Fourth Street merchants more time for commerce each Thursday. While the earlier hours benefit
the Market, the later hours will still allow the event to continue to be popular. Staff further
recommends that these earlier hours be revisited in the future when economic recovery is firmly in
place in the Downtown.
FISCAL IMPACT: The Downtown Farmers' Market Festival requires support from Police and
Event Operations Staff, included in the Redevelopment Agency's budget.
OPTIONS: Disapprove street closures.
ACTION REQUIRED: Approve resolution authorizing street closures.
FOR CITY CLERK ONLY
File No.:
City Council Meeting:
Disposition:
A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE
CITY OF SAN RAFAEL AUTHORIZING THE
TEMPORARY CLOSURE OF CITY STREETS FOR
THE WEEKLY DOWNTOWN FARMERS'
MARKET FESTIVAL ON THURSDAY EVENINGS
FROM APRIL 2 - SEPTEMBER 24, 2009
WHEREAS, the Downtown Farmers' Market Festival necessitates the temporary closure of
Downtown streets on Thursday evenings from April 2 through September 24, 2009 as specified
below:
1. Fourth Street from "B" Street to Lincoln Avenue from 5:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m.
2. "A" Street between Fifth and the entry to the Parking structure, Lootens between Fifth and
Commercial, and Cijos from Fourth to Commercial from 5:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m.
WHEREAS, after reviewing plans for the event and the traffic patterns, City staff has determined
and recommended that, in the interest of the safety and welfare of pedestrian and auto traffic in the
Downtown area, the above streets should be temporarily closed to through traffic for the dates and
times described above.
THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF SAN RAFAEL HEREBY RESOLVES
AS FOLLOWS:
1. That all of the above findings are true and correct;
2. That, pursuant to the authority of Vehicle Code section 21101(e), for the safety and
protection of persons, both pedestrians and vehicle drivers, the City Council hereby
authorizes the temporary closure of the above listed streets for the dates and times
described above.
I, ESTHER C. BEIRNE, Clerk of the City of San Rafael, hereby certify that the foregoing
Resolution was duly and regularly introduced and adopted at a regular meeting of the City Council
of the City of San Rafael, held on Tuesday, the seventeenth day of February, 2009, by the
following vote, to wit:
AYES: Councilmembers:
NOES: Councilmembers:
ABSENT: Councilmembers:
ESTHER C. BEH2NE, City Clerk