Downtown business owners and residents criticize concrete barriers on George Street

Business owners and residents told the York City Council on Tuesday evening that concrete barricades placed along George Street to create outdoor dining space have created traffic, safety and accessibility problems and that the city’s messaging about the change was inadequate.

Owners of Plant Box Co, a downtown houseplant café, described how the barriers reduce road space and complicate turning movements near Philadelphia Street. "We've just turned a space that is used for streets...into a space that's only being used for seats," said Matt Jones, who provided a numerical estimate of how often the seating would be used and how little additional revenue it would likely generate for restaurants.

Jones's partner, Berna Williams Jones, said the barriers send a message that conflicts with her business’s values and raised concerns about emergency access for people with limited mobility. "Having anything that could have our EMS take longer is a significant problem," she said, describing personal experience being temporarily disabled and using a wheelchair for six months.

Other speakers echoed concerns about traffic impacts and lack of advance notice. Resident Roth Prepp said the concrete blocks leave diners exposed to vehicle exhaust and that businesses were told they would need to pay to "beautify" the barriers. "It feels like putting lipstick on a pig," he said. Nicole Young, who lives on George Street, said the barriers block a loading zone she depends on and make it harder for deliveries, moving vans and ambulances to access buildings.

Multiple speakers said they had not received direct notice before the barriers were installed. Young and others said they received a copy-paste reply from the mayor's office and that the mayor had told them a traffic study was not required because driving lanes and turning lanes were not affected; residents said they observed otherwise.

Speakers also raised equity and messaging concerns. Berna Williams Jones said the mayor told her the measure echoed steps other cities had taken; she said she had not seen similar concrete enclosures on her travels. Roth Prepp and others questioned the fairness of allowing restaurants on George Street to receive daily, semi-permanent lane reductions when other streets receive full closure for events only on weekends.

Council did not take immediate action on the public comments during the meeting. Several councilmembers later acknowledged the public concerns and said staff would follow up; no traffic study or schedule for changes was announced on the record.

Ending

Residents and business owners urged clearer communication from the mayor’s office and the city’s public-works staff and asked for traffic and emergency-access reviews before the barriers remain in place long term.