MOSCOW — Members of the Moscow business community have asked city leaders to put limitations on public events held downtown.
Moscow’s downtown center is the site of several city and private events throughout the year that require streets to be temporarily closed.
The Moscow City Council will vote at its next meeting Monday on an event policy that would prohibit downtown streets from being closed between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. This would not apply to events conducted by the city of Moscow or on behalf of the city.
This matter was discussed Monday during the Moscow Public Works and Finance Committee meeting.
The proposed policy was requested by the Moscow Chamber of Commerce + Visitor Center and the Downtown Business Alliance, which say that downtown events can deter customers from businesses and take away valuable parking.
Moscow Chamber of Commerce + Visitor Center Director Samantha Martinet told attendees at the Public Works and Finance Committee meeting that business owners in the Downtown Business Alliance chose the 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. hours because they wanted to find a balance between supporting both businesses and downtown events.
“Between all of the businesses in the DBA, it was really, like, OK this is a reasonable time that strikes a good balance and not make people feel like it’s inaccessible or unwelcoming to the community overall,” she said.
Moscow City Administrator Bill Belknap said street closures are less likely to hurt restaurants and more likely to hurt businesses that are open during traditional business hours like a real estate agent’s office, bank or insurance company.
Also on Monday, city officials announced they will apply for a grant to help the city repave a large section of D Street in 2027.
The city can apply for up to $1.17 million from the state, as long as the city pays for 7.3% of the project. If approved, the city will begin asphalt reconstruction on D Street from U.S. Highway 95 to Hayes Street. The project also includes the construction of 20 ADA-compliant pedestrian ramps.
Kuipers can be reached at akuipers@dnews.com.