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Council approves temporary one-way traffic loop for Labor Day festival, pending safety sign-off
Summary
Council approved a temporary one-way traffic pattern near Yawk River Park for a Labor Day festival expected to draw thousands over three days, with police and public works to finalize details on closures, vendor loading and emergency access.
The city council voted to approve a temporary one-way traffic loop on Torrance Avenue and North 7th Street to support a Labor Day weekend festival at Yawk River Park, pending final approval from the police chief, fire chief and public works foreman.
Organizers told the council they expect 3,300–4,000 visitors per day over a three-day period and want to use a one-way configuration to reduce bottlenecks and provide a dedicated loading lane for about 70 vendors and roughly 30 performers. "This layout eliminates narrow 2-way bottlenecks, creates a dedicated loading lane for our 70 vendor[s] and 30 artists," the event request read.
Council members pressed organizers on logistics including vendor placement, porta‑potty locations, a vendor setup timeline and where crowd parking would be located. The rec board and organizers discussed parking partnerships and shuttle options; a council member advised outreach to a private 5‑acre lot as a likely overflow parking resource.
Public safety officials told the council they had planned staging and auxiliary staffing; the police chief said the department will receive final routing and signage before the event and the council conditioned the approval on the chiefs' and public works' review. Event safety measures discussed included maintaining at least 20 feet width for fire apparatus access through vendor aisles and having auxiliary police manage traffic flow during peak hours.
The council recorded a roll-call vote approving the temporary traffic loop with the stated condition that the police chief, fire chief and public works foreman complete the safety review and delivery of required signage and notices.
