Downtown bar owner Chris Wachowiak wants the city to remove a piece of the red tape that stands between people who want to organize street festivals and City Hall so the city’s core can become a hot spot of outdoor events and nightlife.
The city’s Code and Regulation Committee took up the idea of amending its open seal liquor laws and creating standing festival zones Monday night, but postponed any action saying it wanted the Legal Department to do more research on whether the change is needed and how it could be paid sales taxes for events involving nonprofits.
The committee will revisit the subject next week.
The first two proposed festival zones are the City Market Zone — the area surrounding the parking garage at Water and East State streets — and the Main Street Zone — one block north and south of East State Street at Main Street, which was reopened as a street this year after decades of serving as a pedestrian mall.
Wachowiak’s bar, Krypto Music Lounge, is at the corner of West State and Main. He sees the street outside his business as an ideal spot for weekend music festivals featuring local, regional and national bands.
As for the City Market, no one in the zone has a permanent liquor license so the change would allow a vendor to come in and sell without having to apply for a permit each time.
“The reason we’re looking for the ordinance change is to make it easier to do events for anyone who wants to do these events,” Wachowiak said. He already has two events planned for this summer, but wants to plan many more — two a month, at least.
Aldermen, who would have to approve the change, expressed support for the idea, but as of Monday night, some still had concerns about how it would work and whether it’s in alignment with the goals of the newly formed Rockford Area Venues and Entertainment Authority.
RAVE Chairman Mike Dunn threw his support behind the concept and urged the city to do whatever it could to support the creation of more downtown events.
“We 100 percent believe in the importance of these kinds of events and support the people who are investing in properties and businesses in downtown,” Dunn said. “That’s the attitude RAVE has.”
Ald. Bill Robertson suggested a wait-and-see approach. He said groups wanting to plan more festivals and events could continue to request special-use permits for the temporary adjustment of open liquor laws, and the city could see how it goes.
Ald. Ann Thompson-Kelly suggested passing the amendment with a sunset clause so further adjustments could be made.
“No one is against festivals,” said Ald. Doug Mark. “We just want some parameters set.”
Staff writer Corina Curry can be reached at [email protected] or 815-987-1371.
Read the original article from the Rockford Register Star.
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