Carbondale staff weigh three Main Street closure options for First Fridays; task force to recommend plan

Carbondale parks staff presented three alternatives for Main Street closures during First Fridays and asked the commission and a special-events task force to develop a recommendation for the Board of Trustees.

Eric Brenlinger, Carbondale’s parks and recreation director, said the discussion at next week’s task-force meeting will focus on finalizing the 2025 calendar and resolving persistent complaints about long closures on Main Street. “what we're trying to do at that meeting, is really, finalize our our calendar of events for 2025,” Brenlinger said. He added: “The big change is is street closures.”

Why it matters: long closures prompt pushback from drivers and concerns about emergency access and downtown businesses; they also affect how event activations (for example, live music or vendor zones near the Clay Center) can be arranged. Brenlinger described three options that staff have floated to the commission: (1) retain long closures that span Main Street to Snowmass Drive only when there is activation at the far end; (2) short, consistent closures that run only to Third Street most First Fridays; or (3) a hybrid/phased closure that opens the Snowmass-to-Second block to traffic until 6 p.m. then closes it for evening activation.

Commissioners and staff discussed safety and access trade-offs. Brenlinger noted that closing Main Street farther creates a detour that requires use of alleys for access to Sopris Lodge and that emergency-vehicle access is a key variable when considering longer closures. Commissioners proposed delaying the Snowmass closure until 6 p.m. on busy summer evenings to accommodate commuter traffic and reduce driver confusion. One commissioner suggested using portable “hardscape” or movable bollards for some closures to maintain emergency access while controlling vehicle entry.

Brenlinger said the Carbondale Chamber and the Clay Center historically have organized activations on the down‑town end of Main, and that if staff recommend shorter closures, groups wanting activation can apply for event-specific street permits. He said the special-events task force will consider staffing, permit logistics, and communication strategies, including producing detour maps and giving earlier public notice of closures.

Next steps: staff will bring a recommended calendar and closure approach to the Parks & Recreation special-events task force, then forward a recommendation to the Board of Trustees at its Jan. 28 meeting. The commission invited members to attend the task-force meeting on Jan. 15 to offer input.

Ending: Commissioners also discussed related items — seasonal timing for closures, coordination with Mount Sopris Music Fest and July 4 parade logistics, and pilot trials of bollards and portable barriers — and asked staff to return with more detail after the task-force meeting.