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Chamber proposes monthly street closures for locals night; council asks for business input
Summary
The Lambertville Chamber proposed periodic evening street closures to create a locals night block-party for residents and businesses. Council members welcomed the idea but raised parking, traffic and timing concerns and asked the Chamber and council liaisons to consult with affected merchants before the next meeting.
The Lambertville Chamber of Commerce asked the City Council to consider periodic evening street closures to create a monthly locals night block-party for residents and downtown businesses.
Brian Schreck, a chamber co-proprietor and lifelong resident, told the council the idea was meant to build on recent well-attended local events and was "not to bring in a ton of tourism" but rather to encourage residents to patronize businesses. He said the chamber had already spoken informally with many merchants on the proposed block and volunteered to handle much of the event logistics and promotion.
Council members supported the concept in principle but flagged concerns about parking loss on a Friday night and the effect on weekend business traffic. One councilmember suggested pilot-testing the idea on a weeknight and canvassing all businesses that would be affected. Another councilmember recommended exploring alternate locations such as Clines Court or Client Square to reduce disruption.
The council asked two members to meet with chamber representatives and bring back a refined proposal in time to consider it before the next council meeting so a decision could be made without missing the summer season.
Ending: The council left the proposal open for refinement and asked the Chamber and council liaisons to meet and return with details, including business outreach and parking mitigations.
