OCR Text |
Show BUSINESS The Building a business is a workout, A-12 www.parkrecord.com Park Record. A-11 more visitors stayed over winter, A-13 Sat/Sun/Mon/Tues, May 20-23, 2017 Ban could shut door on Main Street chains Editor: Bubba Brown business@parkrecord.com 435.649.9014 ex.118 City considers regulation as influx of large retailers continues in the area visiting groups can help park city nonprofits Park City has joined a website that allows companies or other groups that hold corporate retreats in town to give back to the area’s nonprofit organizations. According to a press release from the Park City Chamber/Bureau, Park City is one of 38 cities across the country listed on givinggood.com, which makes it easy for companies to donate money or other support to the town’s nonprofits. “We are proud to be one of the first cities in America that encourages meeting planners to make an immediate and direct impact on our local non-profit community as well,” said Bill Malone, president and CEO of the Chamber/Bureau. “These non-profits provide vital services and are part of what makes Park City a unique community, creating a set of values that puts social consciousness front and center and makes us proud to call this place our home.” By Bubba Brown The Park Record The window of opportunity for chain stores to snatch up Main Street storefronts may be closing. Following the opening of several chain stores in the historic district in recent years, City Hall is exploring a ban or regulations to limit how many of them can be on Main Street. Officials and small merchants in the area see the rise of chain stores, which can afford to keep up with steep rent increases that have put smaller retailers out of business, as a long-term threat to the authenticity of the well-known shopping district. In a recent report to the City Council, staffers outlined options of what a ban might look like. According to that report, one preferred alternative would be prohibiting any more chains from occupying street-level storefronts south of (above) Heber Avenue, rendering the 18 current chain retailers as legal, nonconforming uses. Other possibilities include establishing a cap on the number of chains -- defined as retailers with 10 or more locations -- or limiting the total linear feet they can take up along Main Street. The report notes that both of those options would require staffers to find evidence backing up the number ultimately chosen as a cap, rather than choosing one arbitrarily. The issue of chain stores has long been a point of contention along Main Street. Many say the retailers are pushing out mom and pop-style shops and threatening to eliminate the atmosphere that makes Park City a unique draw for thousands of visitors each year. Others, though, see the influx of chain stores, such as Patagonia, The North Face and Lululemon, as a natural market reaction to the town’s growth and success. For their part, City Councilors have directed staffers for months to explore Chamber/Bureau to host summer kick-off The Park City Chamber/Bureau is set to hold its annual summer kick-off expo. According to the organization’s website, visitparkcity.com, the event is designed to celebrate and educate people about activities and other offerings in town during the summer. The expo, which will feature free food, a cash bar and prizes, will highlight more than 40 local businesses. The event is scheduled for June 1, from 4 to 7 p.m. at the Boneyard Saloon & Kitchen. The event is free and open to the public. The registration deadline for businesses to participate is May 29. Board of Realtors doles out scholarships The Park City Board of Realtors is awarding $22,500 in scholarships to local students this spring. According to a press release, three students at Park City High School will receive $2,500, while two students apiece from Wasatch High School, North Summit High School and South Summit High School will be given scholarships. Park Record File Photo Park City is exploring banning or regulating chain stores on Main Street. Chain stores have long been seen as a threat to the authenticity of the historic district, which attracts thousands of visitors each year, but regulating them would be a new step for city officials. ways to implement a chain ordinance. Until recently, however, the staffers, while concerned about the effects of large retailers, maintained that interfering in the free market may not be the role of local government. Jonathan Weidenhamer, City Hall’s economic development manager, said the tenor of that argument changed when L.L. Bean, a Maine-based retailer with dozens of stores around the country, announced plans to open a location on the corner of Main Street and Heber Avenue. “That really kind of turned up the Bunsen burner and put a lot of heat on it and brought it to everybody’s attention,” he said. “I think there’s a lot of pressure from the public and the community on the Council, which kind of trickled down onto the staff.” Staffers are still in the early stages of identifying what the ban should ultimately look like, but so far local businesses have been supportive. Michael Barille, executive director of the Historic Park City Alliance, a group that advocates for Main Street businesses, told The Park Record in an email that his membership is encouraged by City Hall’s action so far and is open to seeing how the ban moves forward. “Right now I think we are preparing to actively engage with city staff to sort out what the effects of various adjustments to the proposal might be and to start to form opinions after getting as thoroughly informed as possible,” he said. “But in the early going, the comments I’ve heard and the discussion with city staff at our meeting this morning has generally been supportive of the effort to try to set some parameters for this class of business.” One group that may not take as kindly to the initiative, however, is chain retailers that are eying Park City as a potential location. Weidenhamer, for one, isn’t necessarily expecting blowback from those companies but wouldn’t be surprised by it. “I think if we started with a ban, it might be a little more acute,” he said. “But we’re going to create an arms race if we allow, like, three more (under a cap). I don’t think we know the answer to that.” Please see Chain, A-13 MICHAEL KagenMD KAGEN MD Convenient Quality Care Michael Kagen MD is a board certified specialist in Internal Medicine offering convenient and affordable concierge care •••••• Call us to set up a FREE informational session 435.633.6263 KagenMD.com Located in the Heiden Orthopedics office 2200 Park Ave., Bldg D, Ste 100, Park City FREE STEM CELL LUNCH SEMINAR PRESENTED BY JOHN LAWRENCE M.D. LIVE PAIN FREE Board Certified Physician specializing in Regenerative and Functional Medicine AND REGAN ARCHIBALD, LAC DO YOU SUFFER FROM… • Alzheimer’s • Dementia • Autoimmunity • Chronic Pain • Macular Degeneration • Lung Issues • Nerve Damage • Inflammation • Back Pain • Knee Pain • Shoulder Pain • Hip Pain • Osteoarthritis • Neuropathy • Plantar Fasciitis Join us for Our Seminars Held at our Park City Office Find out if Surgery-Free, stem cell therapy can help relieve your joint pain and get your life back! Call Today 435-640-1353 12:00PM - Tuesday, May 23, 2017 12:00PM - Tuesday, May 30, 2017 East West Health 1790 Sun Peak Dr., #A-102 Park City, UT 84098 |