Business owners in Vermont shopping district demand changes to city policies
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Business owners in Vermont shopping district demand changes to city policies
Burlington, Vermont’s Church Street Shopping district has been a fixture for about 40 years. Business owners say a lack of police presence, plus some city policies have over time, eroded the feeling of safety downtown. More than 100 business owners joined together, to the mayor essentially saying, it’s time for some major changes to be made to the city’s streets. The removal of used needles from sidewalks and doorways. The prohibition of *nudity* in public spaces. The relocation of a free lunch program, which occurs daily in a downtown parking garage a few feet from the businesses.
In a recent interview with Sinclair, co-owner Mark Bouchette said a lack of police presence, plus some city policies have over time, eroded the feeling of safety downtown.
It’s leading to people, you know, use drugs just sort of everywhere, everywhere you turn,” Bouchette said.
We want to invite people in and people with kids and, you know, families and those sorts of things. And those things don’t mesh well,” he added.
Around the city, the juxtaposition exists just about everywhere you look– new construction next to demolition, renovation surrounded by vandalism, and sanctioned needle exchanges in city parks.
Once thriving businesses are now struggle to survive.
Our sales are down 30% this year already. And people, the local county people, you know, say they won’t come down here anymore,” Debra Miller, who is the co-owner of Ken’s Pizza and Pub, said.
Miller runs the restaurant with her husband, Tom.
We’re not against serving the people in need,” he said. “But i think there’s a better place than in the downtown business corridor because the mayor is scratching her head (asking) why are our revenues down?”
Recently, just about every business owner in the shopping district said enough is enough. More than 100 joined together, to the mayor essentially saying, it’s time for some major changes to be made.
Some of their requests include the following:
The removal of used needles from sidewalks and doorways
The prohibition of *nudity* in public spaces
The relocation of a free lunch program, which occurs daily in a downtown parking garage a few feet from the businesses
It was just announced to Burlington’s City Hall Park.
These people would block private parking lots,” Debra Miller said. “They would urinate and defecate on the ground right there. And there’s no handwashing. It’s so unsanitary.”
Back at Homeport, business carries on, with looming concerns about the priorities of those making decisions for the city.
“We need to help those folks and we need to survive at the same time. So, what we’ve been feeling is that there’s been a focus on one problem to the exclusion of the others many times,” Bouchette said.
Business owners in Vermont shopping district demand changes to city policies
Burlington, Vermont’s Church Street Shopping district has been a fixture for about 40 years. Business owners say a lack of police presence, plus some city policies have over time, eroded the feeling of safety downtown. More than 100 business owners joined together, to the mayor essentially saying, it’s time for some major changes to be made to the city’s streets. The removal of used needles from sidewalks and doorways. The prohibition of *nudity* in public spaces. The relocation of a free lunch program, which occurs daily in a downtown parking garage a few feet from the businesses.
In a recent interview with Sinclair, co-owner Mark Bouchette said a lack of police presence, plus some city policies have over time, eroded the feeling of safety downtown.
It’s leading to people, you know, use drugs just sort of everywhere, everywhere you turn,” Bouchette said.
We want to invite people in and people with kids and, you know, families and those sorts of things. And those things don’t mesh well,” he added.
Around the city, the juxtaposition exists just about everywhere you look– new construction next to demolition, renovation surrounded by vandalism, and sanctioned needle exchanges in city parks.
Once thriving businesses are now struggle to survive.
Our sales are down 30% this year already. And people, the local county people, you know, say they won’t come down here anymore,” Debra Miller, who is the co-owner of Ken’s Pizza and Pub, said.
Miller runs the restaurant with her husband, Tom.
We’re not against serving the people in need,” he said. “But i think there’s a better place than in the downtown business corridor because the mayor is scratching her head (asking) why are our revenues down?”
Recently, just about every business owner in the shopping district said enough is enough. More than 100 joined together, to the mayor essentially saying, it’s time for some major changes to be made.
Some of their requests include the following:
The removal of used needles from sidewalks and doorways
The prohibition of *nudity* in public spaces
The relocation of a free lunch program, which occurs daily in a downtown parking garage a few feet from the businesses
It was just announced to Burlington’s City Hall Park.
These people would block private parking lots,” Debra Miller said. “They would urinate and defecate on the ground right there. And there’s no handwashing. It’s so unsanitary.”
Back at Homeport, business carries on, with looming concerns about the priorities of those making decisions for the city.
“We need to help those folks and we need to survive at the same time. So, what we’ve been feeling is that there’s been a focus on one problem to the exclusion of the others many times,” Bouchette said.