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Crowley committee flags permit gap after metal warehouse built in historic district; Main Street secures foot-traffic data tool
Summary
Community-development committee identified a permitting lapse after a metal building was constructed without historic-district review; the committee also heard Main Street event plans and approved purchase access to Placer AI foot-traffic analytics.
A Community and Economic Development committee meeting Jan. 14 flagged a procedural gap after a metal warehouse was erected on Second Street inside Crowley’s historic district without the Certificate of Appropriateness (COA) review the historic-district rules require.
Committee members said the permit office should route any permit application for properties inside the historic-district boundary to the historic-district committee for review. “The historic district … needs to be told that they’ve got an application,” an alderman said, adding the permit office likely missed routing the application. Committee members warned repeated misses could jeopardize the district’s state recognition and associated funding.
Main Street updates: Hank Capel, assistant director of Crowley Main Street, reported the Rice on Ice holiday program drew more than 5,000 participants and outlined upcoming events — including a “Sip and Stroll,” the Main Street awards banquet Jan. 31, and Valentine’s and tournament schedules. Main Street told the committee it will request formal permission to close Main Street for select events and asked that the city temporarily waive the open-container rule for two events (Sip & Stroll and Sock Hop) on their event dates.
Data purchase: Main Street said a cooperative agreement will give the city access to Placer AI — a commercial cell-phone–based foot-traffic analytics product — and that the subscription cost for Crowley’s coverage is roughly $8,000. The tool will show where downtown visitors come from and where they go after events, Main Street said.
Next steps: Committee members asked permit and code staff to close the routing gap so future permits inside the historic district receive appropriate review. Main Street’s event requests will be placed on next week’s agenda for formal consideration.
