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HomeMy WebLinkAboutIR 8851INFORMAL REPORT TO CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS L 0F �._ To the Mayor and Members of the City Council No. 8851 June 19, 2007 Page 1 of 2 SUBJECT: Street Closure of 100 W Exchange Avenue in Stockyards Spencer Taylor, President of 100 West Exchange Ave., Inc. (West X) has requested to close the 100 block of West Exchange Avenue on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays in order to provide a pedestrian friendly walkway in the Stockyards. West X has purchased or leased six properties on West Exchange Street to provide seven entertainment venues targeting adults 21 -50 years of age featuring daily promotions. The marketing strategy is to provide live entertainment with a diverse appeal for residents and visitors with the goal to attract more people to the Stockyards area. The venues will offer a diverse range of music, including blues, karaoke, dueling pianos, and rock -n -roll. To enhance the entertainment experience, they would like to close the 100 block of West Exchange on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays to create a pedestrian friendly walkway. Once a month, they would like to offer a special event in the street featuring live local bands. Representatives from the City Manager's Office, Fire, Police, Public Events, Law and the Transportation and Public Works Department have met to consider the request, identify current ordinances, address public safety concerns and determine the impact on businesses in the affected block. Mr. Taylor has also been working with the Planning and Development Department to address permitting issues. The Development Department is working closely with them to resolve inspecting and permit issues for the facilities. Ordinance: According to the Transportation and Public Works Street Management Department, there are no existing ordinances governing street closures. However, current administrative policy requires street closures of longer than three days or for - profit organizations to obtain City Council approval. The only known precedent for recurring temporary street closure was approval of a street closure on Sundays for a local church. Public Safety. The review and approval process by the Fire and Police Departments will be the same as that designated in the administrative policy for Special Event street closures. Representatives from the Fire Department will review and approve the site plan prior to the street closure. A tentative design has been reviewed and approval will be subject to the submission of the final site plan. The Police Department has reviewed the security proposal and will have an opportunity to review the final security plan prior to the street closure. Support. Mr. Taylor has obtained signed and notarized letters from the tenants and property owners in the 100 block of West Exchange and all have indicated support of the street closure. Representatives from the Stockyards Hotel and H3 Restaurant have expressed concerns regarding the impact on their valet service, and Mr. Taylor is working with them to address their concerns. ISSUED BY THE CITY MANAGER FORT WORTH, TEXAS INFORMAL REPORT TO CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS R To the Mayor and Members of the City Council No. 8851 June 19, 2007 Page 2 of 2 SUBJECT: Street Closure of 100 W Exchange Avenue in Stockyards Recommendation: Staff recommends that for the weekends when special events are planned, per the administrative policy, that Mr. Taylor secure a special event permit. Staff recommends entering into an agreement authorizing the street closure for a period of six months to allow for an evaluation of the closure and its impact to the area. Mr. Taylor's original request was for a more permanent closure of the 100 block of West Exchange. However, staff feels that this needs to be reviewed through the granting of this pilot or trial period since there is no precedent for street closures in this city in the manner proposed by West X. The agreement will permit West X to close the 100 block of West Exchange Avenue between North Main Street and Ellis Avenue continuously from Friday at 6:00 a.m. to Monday at 6:00 a.m. Both North Main Street and Ellis Avenue will remain open. West X will be responsible for providing security, appropriate barricades, reasonable expense for modifications to traffic control devices, maintaining appropriate fire corridor, trash removal, and for providing signage and notification of street closure. The agreement will require that the City be indemnified, require liability insurance and provide a termination clause that favors the City. Council Action Requested: An M &C is on the City Council Agenda for June 19, 2007, for authorization of the street closure for the Grand Opening weekend of June 29 -July 1, 2007, and authorization for staff to approve two additional weekends upon request. An additional M &C will be on the City Council Agenda for July 10, 2007, for authorization to enter an agreement to close the 100 block of W. Exchange Avenue on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays for a period of six months beginning July 13, 2007, and ending on January 14, 2008. Should you have any questions and /or concerns, please contact Joe Paniagua, Assistant City Manager, at 817 - 392 -6161. Charles R. Boswell City Manager ISSUED BY THE CITY MANAGER FORT WORTH, TEXAS