City to scale back proposed sidewalk use permit program

CHILLICOTHE – A proposed sidewalk use permit program brought forward Wednesday evening by city leaders will undergo further review after downtown businesses owners raised concerns about possibly being required to pay a fee if they want to place signs and other items outside their establishments.

City Councilwoman Nancy Ames unveiled the program during the city’s Development Committee meeting at the city administration building and indicated the owner of Fire and Stone Pizzeria, Sean Immell, needs a sidewalk use permit from the city before he is able to provide alcohol outside as required by the state Board of Liquor Control.

Currently, the city doesn’t have a sidewalk use permit program in place, but Ames said other municipalities such as Lancaster and Delaware have programs already in place, adding she thinks it would be a good thing for downtown Chillicothe.

The proposed program essentially called for an annual fee on businesses who occupy the city’s public right of way with signage, benches or flower planters, requiring them to have insurance and that the city wouldn’t be held liable for any damages or injuries.

Ames also said she recognized the growing problem with the placement of items on the city’s right of way on Bridge Street, adding that City Engineer Tom Day is working on developing some regulations to get a handle on the situation.

“It’s out of control on Bridge Street, and (Day) is getting some rules to put before council to take a look at that,” Ames said.

Ames also advocated for some regulation in the downtown area as it continues to see more activity, saying: “We don’t want our downtown like Bridge Street growing haphazard.”

Tom White, a member of the city’s Downtown Development Commission, questioned the proposed sidewalk use permit program and said he was particularly concerned about creating additional challenges for businesses if it were in place.

“I encourage you to get input from downtown businesses and merchants,” White said.

City Councilman Joel Fleurima also said the proposal needs to be evaluated closely.

“We definitely don’t want to create an answer looking for a problem,” he said. “We want to be level-headed.”

Bruce Arnold, whose business is located on Water Street, also was critical of the proposal, saying he wasn’t comfortable paying a fee under the program for something such as an item used to dispose of cigarette butts currently located outside his business. He also said he had concerns about liability shifting over to business owners such as himself rather than the city if he were to mandated to apply for a permit.

“I think we may be trying to overdo it,” Arnold said. “As soon as I sign this paper, boom, I become responsible.”

Ames later said she wants to do what is best not only for businesses, but for the city as well moving forward. Ames said after the meeting she plans to move forward with the proposed sidewalk use permit program for outdoor dining establishments because of the feedback received and stressed the overall purpose is to help the downtown area move forward.

“We’re doing this to be proactive. We’re doing this because our downtown is changing and we have to accommodate it in an orderly way,” she said.

City Councilwoman Ceil Corcoran also cautioned about imposing more fees on people, saying she wanted things to be “feasible and responsible for everyone.”

“I just think we need to go slow with the rest of this,” Corcoran said. “I think we probably have to look at fees we already have and not duplicate them.

She added: “I just think there’s a lot of questions. We have to move forward slowly and responsibly.”