The Independence Day festival was one of the major topics at the Weston Board of Alderman meeting Monday, Jan. 13.
July 4 will be on a Saturday this year and the aldermen are concerned that the downtown Weston celebration will disrupt businesses due to road closings. Board member Joyce Priddy said the feedback she got from downtown business owners was mixed on closing the streets on a Saturday, half (11) were opposed to the idea.
She said some had suggested blocking the streets off at 10 a.m. for the parade and then reopening them. All of the other events and vendors could be located at the park.
The streets could then be closed back down around 4 p.m. for bands. The aldermen get constant requests to close the streets, but she said Saturdays are busy and closing streets on a Saturday would hurt merchants.
One of the event’s organizers responded that the event has outgrown the park due to the number of food tents, vendors, dunk tanks, inflatables, bands and fireworks and if they are not allowed to use downtown streets they will have to move the event away from Main Street completely. She said she had researched shopping on the Fourth of July and only about 6 percent of people shop on the holiday and even if the festival wasn’t held downtown, merchants were not going to make money that day. She also emphasized that this is a community event organized by community members including the chamber and the Masonic Lodge.
Another audience member said she owns a business downtown and that she does very good business on Saturdays. She suggested not closing the streets down until around 5 p.m.
Business owners said they supported fireworks on the Fourth of July because it increased their customers by 50 to 70 percent.
Another business owner said the issue shouldn’t be decided until all merchants were allowed to give their opinions on the street closings. She said merchants supported the event but shouldn’t be asked to shut down their businesses on a Saturday.
The board voted to come back to the issue in February after consulting with more merchants.
The Ben Holladay Days special event request was presented by Brent Newkirk who asked for the 400 block of Main Street to be closed for the celebration on April 18. Activities will include a parade, living history displays, reenactments, a street dance, a stagecoach and a horse group. The board questioned closing the 400 block and the need for indoor facilities for the display of textiles.
Board members said the street route needed to be worked out and they were open to discussing the parade route.
The board approved the event with the stipulation that the route would have to be worked out.
The business license for Nance B&B was approved by the board and the zoning regulations special use exception for the new medical marijuana facilities was approved.