Weekend vendor spaces moved to Lithia Park
By Damian Mann for Ashland.news
Ashland’s picturesque Calle Guanajuato overlooking Ashland Creek could be an even more popular spot for outdoor restaurant seating and artisans selling their wares.
The Ashland Parks & Recreation Commission on Wednesday, Feb. 11, unanimously approved a pilot project that would add more space for downtown restaurant seating along the pedestrian walkway along the creek behind the buildings fronting the west side of Ashland Plaza and open up an area on the lawn at the entrance to Lithia Park for vendors starting in March.
Restaurants along Calle Guanajuato offering outdoor seating will include Skout, Cafe Lumina, Little Tokyo, Louie’s Bar & Grill, Bar Juillet, Oberon’s, Greenleaf and Mix Bake Shop.
Lithia Artisan’s Market, which had previously had vendors along the walkway, still wants to locate vendors at both entrances to Calle Guanajuato, including where it opens to East Main Street.
“It helps draw people in,” Deputy City Manager Jordan Rooklyn said at the joint meeting of the Parks Commission and City Council.
Little Tokyo, Cafe Lumina and Skout will have seating along Calle Guanajuato where 10 vendors were formerly located. Greenleaf and Louie’s will also gain additional seating.
To give the vendors more space, the perimeter of the lawn area facing Winburn Way will be available to set up booths with canopies and umbrellas.
“The impetus for clearing off Guanajuato is so restaurants have more space,” said Commissioner Jim Bachman.
Commissioner Rick Landt said the lawn area is already a popular spot. He expressed concern that having vendors there could damage the grass and tree roots.
“This is hard on the lawn,” he said. “This area is well used for unorganized recreation.”
He said there could be an issue with soil compaction.
On the other hand, Landt said the idea would help vendors and restaurants that have struggled in recent years.
Landt said he was glad this is just a pilot project to be able to determine the impact vendors and customers have on the lawn area.
He wondered why the Plaza couldn’t be used for the vendors instead of the lawn.
Rooklyn said it would have divided where the vendors were located.
“They didn’t want to separate them on the Plaza,” she said. “That was the Artisan Market’s goal, to have a fully connected market.”
Rooklyn said parks might want to look at a reseeding project for the lawn area to deal with greater numbers of visitors. Also some ash trees located in the area might need to be treated for an ash tree worm, she said.
The Parks Commission approved four motions regarding the pilot plan.
The first was to approve the expanded boundary map.
Next, the commission authorized leases for an eight-month season from March 9 to Nov. 8 that could be extended to the end of the year with a plan in place by Nov. 8 to remove equipment, chairs and tables if a flood threatens.
Another motion allows the Lithia Artisans Market to use the lawn in front of Lithia Park from March through Nov. 8. However the lawn area can’t be used if one-half inch or more of rail falls within a three-day period. Locations for booths will be marked by parks staff.
Depending on the number of vendors, the layout of booths could be clustered in a smaller configuration, mostly on sidewalks at the entrance to Calle Guanajuato and along both sides of Winburn Way. A larger configuration would include the perimeter of the lawn area.
The Parks Commission approved the nine restaurant requests for outdoor seating along Calle Guanajuato.
Leases are charged per square foot for both restaurants and vendors.
For an 8-month season, artisans pay $6.99 per square foot for two weekend days a week, and restaurants pay $10.36 per square foot for seven days a week, or $6.48 for five days a week.
For a nine-and-a-half month season, artisans pay $6.99 per square foot for two weekend days a week, and restaurants pay $12.30 for seven days a week or $7.69 for five days a week.
Reach freelance writer Damian Mann at [email protected].
