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Local merchant says First Avenue construction has cut customers; city points to signage and CRA assistance
Summary
A 12‑year business owner told the commission construction on First Avenue has impeded access and strained finances; city staff said staging, new signage and CRA tenant‑subsidy programs are available to help.
Arturo Montillo, who identifies himself as the owner of Mattress and Furniture for Less on 1st Avenue, told the commission the ongoing street reconstruction has made his shop hard to find and has depressed sales to the point he lacks funds to pay rent this month. "The ongoing construction has been impact my business significantly... I don't have the money to pay my rent this month," Montillo said.
Montillo said confusing detour signs and two‑way/one‑way changes have led customers to miss the storefront and that GPS routing has not helped. The commission thanked him for coming and asked staff for details; several commissioners said they had heard similar complaints from other business owners in the area.
City Manager Dr. Earl said the project is expected to be staged over about 16 months and that only certain sections are closed at any given time to limit impacts. He said the city has been meeting with business owners and will install additional signage (12–15 signs arriving that week), run a circuit shuttle and consider CRA programs such as rental assistance and tenant subsidy to mitigate hardship. "There are ways that we can begin to assist some of the business owners," Dr. Earl said, noting staff will continue to evaluate relief options.
Commissioners also suggested stronger, business‑name signage at detours and agreed to keep the issue under monthly review with potential additional CRA referrals if necessary. No formal financial assistance was adopted at the meeting; staff said programs are available and can be expanded if warranted.
