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HomeMy WebLinkAboutConsider temporary closure of the third block of Main Street /g1° RoVE-D co-0- _ City of Huntington Beach File #: 20-1810 MEETING DATE: 8/3/2020 REQUEST FOR CITY COUNCIL ACTION SUBMITTED TO: Honorable Mayor and City Council Members SUBMITTED BY: Oliver Chi, City Manager PREPARED BY: Oliver Chi, City Manager Subiect: Consideration of a temporary closure of the third block of Main Street to vehicular traffic to permit restaurants and select retail to serve patrons in the public right of way Statement of Issue: On Wednesday, July 1, 2020, Gov. Newsom ordered indoor operations of restaurants, personal care services, hair salons, and other select businesses to cease in response to a recent increase in coronavirus cases statewide. While the City has developed a Temporary Emergency Use Permit program to help alleviate pressures on businesses looking to operate outdoors, in the Downtown area, given the physical environment, there are outdoor expansion limitations. To address this concern, on July 6, 2020, the City Council authorized the City Manager to temporarily close the 2nd block of Main Street to allow downtown businesses the opportunity to operate outdoors within the State's reopening guidelines. The closure of the 2nd block of Main Street has been well received, and this week, the City received a request from the Downtown BID and merchants located on the 3rd block of Main Street. That request asks that the City consider expanding the Main Street closure up to the 3rd block of Main Street, between Orange Avenue and Olive Avenue. If authorized by the City Council, staff would close the block to vehicular access and coordinate a process through which businesses would be able to expand their operations into the street and public right of way. Financial Impact: The fiscal impact is minimal. City staff time will be required to process permit requests and also install safety bollards to close the third block to vehicular traffic. Recommended Action: Authorize the City Manager to temporarily close the third block of Main Street. Alternative Action(s): Do not authorize the City Manager to temporarily close the third block of Main Street to vehicular City of Huntington Beach Page 1 of 2 Printed on 7/31/2020 powere3d7y Legistarr" File #: 20-1810 MEETING DATE: 8/3/2020 traffic to accommodate outdoor commercial activity. Environmental Status: The project is exempt pursuant to the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) Guidelines Section 15304(e) because the proposed project consists of a minor temporary use having negligible or no permanent effects on the environment. The proposed project would not have a negative effect on biologically sensitive resources, and there is no evidence of any unusual environmental circumstances that might give rise to a reasonable possibility that the project will have a significant effect on the environment. Strategic Plan Goal: Non-Applicable - Administrative Item Attachments: 1. Letters of Support City of Huntington Beach Page 2 of 2 Printed on 7/31/2020 powered LegistarT" �f. Indarra Modern Indian Cuisine 301 Main Street Suite 107, Huntington Beach, CA 92648 Respected Members of City Council and Decision Makers City of Huntington Beach 2000 Main Street Huntington Beach, CA 92648 Subject: Request for traffic closure on Block 300 Main Street similar to Block 200 and allow Covid-19 temporary use permit on street The Indarra modern Indian cuisine restaurant business located in Block 300, Main Street, Downtown Huntington Beach would like to go on record as strongly in favor of proposed closure of Block 300 street to traffic and open for outdoor dining similar to Block 200 on the same Main Street. Our small block constitutes of Surf City Ale House (American cuisine), Sushi-on-fire (Japanese Cuisine), Indarra (Modern Indian Cuisine) and Avila El Ranchito (Mexican Cuisine). It has an amazing diversity of culture to offer to local residents and visitors and the expansion on street would really augment the crowd to visit Block 300 as well and not be at any disadvantage compared to Block 200. We're all currently going through a challenging phase during COVID-19 situation, especially restaurant businesses are struggling to make ends meet.Your support in closure of traffic on block 300 Main Street would provide Block 300 Main Street businesses a fair chance to attract crowds visiting Downtown Huntington Beach similar to the opportunity provided to Block 200.The decision for closure of traffic will have a profound positive effect on the local businesses which are backbone of our community. We feel this is a critical issue that deserves to be addressed with solutions that benefit local businesses and provide local residents and visitors more attractive options. Respectfully, 41-�o Savitur Badhwar, MS, MBA Indarra Modern Indian Cuisine Owner, GM (213) 675-7643 savitur@indarraeats.com Confidential 369 `+corarryr p+ i' W Expression of Support for the Closure of the 3rd Block of Main St. NAME BUSINESS 370 , q,UYFdp, Expression of Support for the Closure of the 3rd Block of Main St. NAME BUSINESS 1"dl � 2 371 Ms Sarah Kruer Executive Director, HBBID Good morning, Sarah, JT Development, owner of the property at 301 Main Street with multiple tenants, is requesting your assistance in obtaining the same benefits for the 3rd block as has been given to the 2nd block. We have multiple restaurants on the 3rd block that need this help. We believe opening the 3rd block consistent with the 2nd block will have a great impact to the downtown for all the businesses. Any help you can give us and our tenants would be greatly appreciated. Sincerely yours, John Tillotson, Jr., President Daniel Howse, CFO JT Development Co LLC 714-895-9552 372 Switzer, Donna From: Fikes, Cathy Sent: Monday, August 3, 2020 9:08 AM To: Agenda Alerts Subject: 3rd Block Closure From:Jim Hall <jim@surfcityalehouse.com> Sent:Thursday,July 30, 2020 4:25 PM To: Posey, Mike <Mike.Posey@surfcity-hb.org> Cc: Fikes, Cathy<CFikes@surfcity-hb.org> Subject: 3rd Block Closure Hi Mike, Thank you and all of the City Council for supporting your downtown businesses! These are extremely tough times to own a business and we are doing our best to navigate all the new rules and business practices. Ideally, we as a community need to pull together and support the local businesses that are suffering. The restaurant industry has been especially hard hit. The 2nd Block has experienced great success with the street closure. And the businesses, especially the restaurants, would like the 3rd block closed as well. The need is immediate and we hope that the city council will approve similar opportunities for the 3rd block business to utilize the block for extra seating. This will help with much needed sales as well as with social distancing. If the City has funds available to assist in the beautification of the street closures that would be greatly appreciated. Ideally, if businesses could chose from a pre-approved vendors) for particular tenting and fencing, that would help the overall image tremendously. If lighting, heat lamps, chairs and tables were made available that would also enhance the experience. As you and I both know, not every business supports the closure of Downtown streets. However, closing of 2nd and 3rd block benefits the greater good. The majority of 3rd block business owners are in favor of the closure. Those businesses in favor of the closure employee an estimated 100+ employees. (many of which live in Huntington Beach.) The businesses that do not favor the closure employ far fewer people. Not that anyone is less important, but many more will benefit from the 3rd Block Closure. I greatly appreciate you taking time to address this critically important topic. Hopefully, the City Council will add to the agenda for Monday's meeting. In addition, hopefully they will vote and approve the 3rd block closure and allow business to immediately expand. Kind regards, SUPPLEMENTAL COMMUNICATION Jim Hall Surf City Ale House Meeting Date: y FIA3 1-2�Q 301 Main St. \ Huntington Beach, CA 92648 Agenda ttem tJo.• Sent from Mai' for Windows 10 1 Switzer, Donna From: Fikes, Cathy Sent: Monday, August 3, 2020 10:25 AM To: Agenda Alerts Subject: 3rd Block Main Street Closure - Council meeting consideration SUPPLEMENTAL COMMUNICATION From:The UPS Store #4482 <store4482@theupsstore.com> Sent: Sunday, August 2, 2020 3:25 PM Mee&V Date: To:jill.hardy@surfvity-hb.org Cc: Fikes, Cathy<CFikes@surfcity-hb.org> a3�� ^ �g�® Subject: 3rd Block Main Street Closure- Council meeting consideration ,Agenda Item No., Honorable Mayor Pro Tempore Jill Hardy City of Huntington Beach, California Dear Mayor Pro Tempore Hardy, I am writing over of concern for the possible closure of cross traffic on Olive Avenue at Main Street to accommodate the opening of street-side dining for the 3rd block restaurants of Main Street. The closing of Olive Avenue will have an adverse business effect to non-restaurant/retail stores in the adjacent downtown area. I'm very concerned for the realities that this closure brings with the loss of the cross traffic flow on Olive Avenue, as I have experienced with Surf City Night street closures, if for only 7 hours, one day a week, let alone a full-time temporary closure. I'm asking that should this initiative be approved and implemented, it be done in a way that would keep cross traffic on Olive at Main Street open to vehicle traffic. The full-time closure of 2nd and 3rd blocks Main Street with an Olive Avenue closure will have a disastrous effect on retail businesses in the Downtown on a full-time basis. We have survived it for 7 hours, 1 day a week in the past with Surf City Nights but I am convinced that a full-time closure of Olive Avenue as proposed, would be disastrous hit to our non-restaurant retail businesses. Please contrast a full-time, 2 block street closure to the to that of Surf City Nights. Every Tuesday, a 3- block closure was implemented on Main Street from 2pm to 9pm for SCN. On those days, all cross traffic on Olive Avenue and Walnut Avenue, East and West stops and for those 7 hours, 1 day a week, cross traffic and convenient access to Main Street in the downtown area becomes impossible and significant disruption to normal business fell upon the retailers of downtown as a result. Deliveries are nearly impossible and are scheduled on different days of the week to avoid access challenges. Local retail customers avoid the downtown area at all costs unless they are specifically coming for SCN. Business revenues in my business for SCN days drop to 50% or less of the normal! We accept it, but look to the other 6 days of the week to make up for the losses experienced that 1 day of the week. What will we do during a full-time closure? Traffic and congestion at those choke points, during the 1 time of closure at Olive and Walnut, are horrendous. Can't imagine the issues of a full-time closure. The reality of a full-time street closure of Olive Ave at Main Street and the resulting loss of business, traffic congestion and related operational challenges would be untenable, even of a short-term period. I own and operate The UPS Store at 412 Olive Avenue and fully support the temporary closure of 2nd block main street to assist and facilitate the restaurants of 2nd block in their reopening efforts. I support this 3rd block effort as well but please direct planning efforts for this closure to include keeping Olive Avenue cross traffic free and open. There must be a way to keep this access point to the downtown free and open to traffic. Do not close this critical access way to the downtown, for the sake of the residents, the visitors and the non-restaurant/retail businesses that will not directly benefit from the 3rd block street closure. Thank you for your time and consideration. Sincerely, Steve Grabowski Owner/Operator UPS Store 4482 412 Olive Ave Downtown Huntington Beach, Ca 92648 714 960-8600 DOWNTOWN H13 OLIVE The UPS Store The Digital Print & Copy Experts M-F 8a-6:30p Sat 9a-4p Closed Sunday CONFIDENTIALITY NOTICE: The information contained in and accompanying this communication may be privileged or confidential and is intended solely for the use of the intended recipient (s). If you are not the intended recipient of this communication please delete and destroy all copies immediately. 2 Switzer, Donna From: persol121 <moekan49@gmail.com> Sent: Monday, August 3, 2020 2:00 PM To: supplementalcomm@surfcity-hb.org Subject: closure of main street 3rd block. thank you for considering closure of third block of main street and allowing business to extend out onto public property mostly with in their property line as it was done 4 weeks ago in the second block. this closure will also allow other than restaurants to use public property in front of their store to expand outside..we would also like for you to extend the clearing time from 10:00 pm to 11:00 pm. meaning that last seating for extended patio will beat 10:00 pm and patios will be all cleaned up at 11:00 pm. Average check for food has taken a big jump and also wine sell has increased and glass wear should be allowed to serve fine wine and beer and craft cocktails. most will not consider it real dining when forced to have their$15 glass of wine in a plastic cup when eating a $38 Halibut.we are trying to change the old image of past downtown Main Street and need you to help us to achieve that and plastic cup service is an absolute NO, we will serve in CHINA and GLASS. THANK YOU. MOE KANOUDI @ Main street eyewear. SUPPLEMENTAL COMMUNICATION 1Mwft Date: . oS�o alzazy ,agenda Item No.- 028 -20 / i