Ishpeming council approves Wilderness Sports sidewalk sale with northbound-lane closure condition

The Ishpeming City Council approved a special-event permit for Wilderness Sports to hold sidewalk sales on Aug. 7 and Nov. 6, subject to a condition that the northbound lane of Main Street be closed from Division Street to the alley during the event and that Division Street not be used because it is a state (MDOT) route.

An unidentified speaker who raised safety concerns said vendors had in past years set up tables on or near the street in a location that limits visibility for drivers turning onto Main Street. The speaker said the placement created “close calls” with pedestrians and recommended a lane closure for the hours of the sale to reduce the risk. The council and a public-safety official discussed blocking the alley to preserve access for two businesses and to eliminate the right-turn visibility problem.

Council members moved to approve the Wilderness Sports application with the amendment requiring a northbound-lane closure from Division Street to the alley and explicitly disallowing use of Division Street for the event; the motion passed on a voice vote. The transcript records the safety concern: “I just would hate to see someone get hit when you can't see around that corner,” attributed in the record to an unidentified speaker who urged the lane closure.

Because Division Street is under the Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT), the council said the city could not authorize a closure of Division and instead limited any closure to the northbound lane on the city-controlled portion of Main Street. The council specified the two dates to which the permit applies and directed that the organizer comply with the lane-closure requirement and any related safety measures.

The transcript does not record enforcement details or how the lane closure will be implemented; those arrangements were not specified in the public record provided.