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Council approves downtown event closures; merchants urge changes to make events benefit local stores
Summary
Council approved eight downtown street closures for 2025 and staff clarified permit and staging rules; merchants requested event coordination and changes to car show placement while multiple speakers raised persistent parking concerns including the Third Floor leased spaces.
Placerville City Council approved staff recommendations to authorize eight downtown street closures for 2025, with updated dates and primary contacts to be reflected in event permits, and heard extensive public comment about event placement and downtown parking management.
Community Services Director Dennis Nishihara presented the schedule and explained city council approval grants permission to proceed with permit processing but does not automatically finalize permits. "Although you are providing permission to utilize the downtown, if an event organizer is unable to meet the regulations we adopted previously, we may have to pivot and adjust or scale events back," Nishihara said.
Merchants and event organizers said they want downtown closures to drive foot traffic into shops and restaurants rather than simply hosting spectators on Main Street. Alan Ming, representing Merchants on Main, said the group will run the Block Party and Oktoberfest this year and is focused on activities that funnel visitors into local businesses. "We want these events to be really outreach, events to the community to get them involved, not be afraid to come down to these events because of parking issues," Ming said.
Several merchants urged moving car-show displays away from storefronts to the east end of Main Street (Bedford to Cedar Ravine) or parking lots so sidewalks and storefronts remain accessible. Placerville Antiques owner Greg Rezak recommended shifting the car show location and coordinating third-Saturday events like scavenger hunts and evening "after hours" promotions to drive store visits.
Parking was raised repeatedly during public comment. Merchant Ruth Michaelson described repeated instances where the third-floor leased parking remained largely unused while first and second floors filled, and asked the city to re-instate signage and consider painting a leased-only area so customer parking is not displaced. Councilmembers and staff discussed returning the item for a focused conversation; staff noted an upcoming equipment upgrade to parking pay stations and suggested a future agenda item to analyze Third Floor leased parking and the broader parking district.
The motion to approve staff recommendations with updated dates and contacts passed on roll call: Carter — aye; Noe — aye; Yarbrough — aye; Vice Mayor Gottberg — aye; Mayor Clerici — aye.
Staff said they will proceed with individual permit reviews, continue outreach to merchants and event organizers, and explore options such as entertainment zones, revenue-sharing models for vendor/booth fees and targeted marketing to help events drive business into shops.
