Plea to level the playing street

574

Editor,

Reasons why Mayor Butch Berry should cancel the permit for the “Night Market” Dec. 9 on Spring Street and move it to Center Street:

  1. Ending parking at 2 p.m. and closing Spring St. from 2 – 10 p.m. will and has always hurt business.
  2. The second weekend in December is the best weekend of December.
  3. Crafters setting up booths in front of existing shops and selling many of the same items Spring St. galleries and shops sell will hurt local business.
  4. Spring Street retailers’ only option to not have an outside crafter booth in front of their store is to pay $60 or more for it themselves.
  5. The Cattywampus Craft Co-op crafters are from Fayetteville. Not only are they having a big sale there Dec. 2, money spent with them will be leaving Eureka Springs.
  6. Spring Street retailers were not surveyed, consulted or informed of the Market until Nov. 10 when they were told it was a done deal, over two months after Mayor Berry issued the permit.
  7. Many Spring Street retailers have voiced their opposition to the Market located on Spring Street, but Mayor Berry and Mainstreet Network have ignored this.
  8. Spring Street retailers collect city taxes year ‘round, incur many expenses to have their shops, and should not have to compete with one night pop-up craft booths in front of their shops.

Moving the Market to Center Street would (1) allow parking spaces on Spring Street. (2) Allow easy access to Spring Street for shopping. (3) Spring Street doesn’t need to be closed. (4) Center Street is flat, so easy for craft booths to be set up.

Mayor Berry, it is not too late to honor the knowledge and experience of many longtime Spring Street retailers.

Karen Lindlblad