Caldwell Planning and Zoning Regulations are once again acting as the "good taste police" in downtown Caldwell. Changes will require Tobacco shops and Secondhand Stores to get a special use permit. Also noted in the ordinance changes is the requirements for "drinking establishments" to get a special use permit if they want music in their establishments.
All of this comes on the heels of a long and thorough effort back in the 2005-07 effort to make downtown an eclectic collection of a wide range of business enterprises and to make it easy for people to start a new business in downtown.
THE GUARDIAN is concerned the good taste police are overstepping and creating more red tape in a city known to be difficult to do business.
If this goes through it is important to note the downtown area is defined as 12th avenue to Paynter and from Grant Street to the RR tracks. The "downtown zone" is in no way the same as that defined by the urban renewal agency. That zone goes from Dearborn to the RR tracks and from Simplot Blvd to 10th Ave., if I remember it correctly.
These proposed changes will go before the Caldwell City Council on July 7th at the regularly scheduled City Council Meeting. These changes come on the heels of the ordinance changes to prohibit Pay-Day Loans in Caldwell. The short title of this is 2014 Zoning Ordinance Modifications.
Update: I got a call from P&Z Director, Brian Billingsley and upon reflection he wants to take another look at what was put together and run it by some folks for their review along with a group of citizens before the final effort goes before the City Council.
Housing downtown and doing something with the train noise should be given some priority. Another element is having some form of housing downtown like a senior citizen facility or perhaps some dorms for the students at the College of Idaho. We need some new blood downtown and some businesses that will cater to a young crowd. I hope the college football program will have some impact on business downtown on the weekends. A decent sports bar and grill like Buster's would be a great start.
ReplyDeleteI hope there are some public meetings with the community before we get new regs. making it even more difficult to open a business in Caldwell.
The changes we need to downtown is: What do we want the place to look like. Thinking back a few years ago was a 1920's look would be great.
ReplyDeleteOther than that we need a place that will welcome people who want to open a business short of a strip joint or porno shop. I can't help but think a micro brewery would be a natural for downtown Caldwell. I fear the PBR crowd won't patronize one if we did get someone to take on that risk.