05/22/1985 Meeting - Laserfiche WebLink

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. e e Jean Names of the Lane Community College Business (lCC) Assistance Center works with businesses in the 13th and Kincaid area. She told Ms. Smernoff that the businesses had been adversely affected by the vending activity. Bill Tweedie, a retired member of the LCC staff who worked with University area businesses, also indicated support for the staff proposal to Ms. Smernoff. He was pleased with the proposed 150-foot distance. Ms. Smernoff said only one flower vendor operates on City sidewalks. That vendor is on the northwest corner of Broadway and Pearl, is licensed, and complies with City regulations. Most of the issues raised by flower merchants concern vendors on private property, she said. Flower and other types of vending on private property could be addressed by modifications to Chapter 9 of the City code, which the Planning staff could present to the council in six to 12 months. Mr. Holmer said flower vendors in his ward are conducting business in the public right-of-way or across the right-of-way. Many transactions are made across the curb. Ms. Wooten said the 13th and Kincaid area is unique and provlslons for side- walk vending there should be separated from provisions for the rest of the city. Ms. Bascom noted that the regulations for vending on the downtown mall are different from those being considered by the council. Mr. Holmer did not want to treat the 13th and Kincaid area separately from the rest of the city because of philosophical concerns. He emphasized that side- walk vending is done on public property. He will not support the proposals unless they are modified because they authorize an activity that seems to be economically unfair. Discussing the process the council should follow, Mr. Rutan suggested the council consider the application of the proposals on a city-wide basis and then see if they can be applied to the 13th and Kincaid area. Ms. Ehrman agreed with Mr. Rutan and said the 13th and Kincaid area is the only one in which there are problems with sidewalk vending. Ms. Wooten said the 13th and Kincaid area is special. The people and the density make pushcarts profitable there. Regulations and enforcement appli- cable to that area may not be relevant to other areas. She would like to limit the number of vendors in the 13th and Kincaid area to four. The 150- foot distance from other businesses might make it impossible for pushcarts to conduct business in the 13th and Kincaid area, but that distance might be appropriate for other areas of the city. Mr. Hansen said the people who invested in the 13th and Kincaid area and created the situation are special. Many streets lead to the University but people congregate on 13th Avenue where merchants have made capital invest- ments. Merchants can choose many locations, but they probably chose 13th Avenue because of past investments and past activities. MINUTES--Eugene City Council May 22, 1985 Page 2