Council pauses Tarleton Theatre alley‑closure request after neighbors raise delivery and safety concerns

Owners of the Tarleton Theatre asked the Common Council to close a portion of the alley on West Walnut Street so the adjacent Truckyard food‑truck park could be considered part of the theatre’s liquor‑license premises and to address a blind‑corner pedestrian safety issue.

Applicant Tarl Knight and co‑owner Mark Maricchi described the food‑truck park as a permanent activation and said staff recommended an alley closure for safety reasons. They proposed a shared loading zone on South Broadway to accommodate deliveries and protect on‑street parking for patrons. “Staff recommended the same portion of the alley be closed in order to prevent vehicle accidents with pedestrians,” Knight said.

Nearby businesses raised operational objections: several owners said large delivery trucks, refuse haulers and grease‑trap service vehicles rely on alley access and that an outright closure could force loss of service or removal of parking. One business owner said a trash‑pickup driver told him a left‑turn entry would no longer be feasible. Staff said technical options exist — for example a modified easement that preserves service access at the cost of removing on‑street parking — but those would involve tradeoffs.

After extended questions and witness testimony the council voted to hold the alley closure request until the next council meeting and asked staff and the applicant to explore alternatives (loading‑zone designs, bollards, turn‑radius solutions, and potential loss of parking spaces), and to consult Public Works, Police and Fire about safety and service access.

Next steps: staff will return with alternatives and analysis; the council left the record open for additional information and asked for further coordination with affected businesses.