Section 24-73 Downtown street use permits.

(a) City council authorization is required to close any street in the downtown area. For purposes of this article, “downtown area” means the area bound on the north by Park Avenue, on the east by College Avenue, on the south by Elm Street and on the west by Providence Road.

(b) Any person wishing to have the city council close a street in the downtown area for a special event may file a written application for a street closure and street use permit with the city manager on a form supplied by the city manager’s office. The application must be filed at least ten (10) days before the regularly scheduled city council meeting at which the request will be considered.

(c) As part of the application, the applicant shall present evidence that all owners or occupants of property abutting the street to be closed have been notified of the proposed street closure and their right to address the city council in opposition to the street closure.

(d) The city council shall not close a street and issue a street use permit unless it determines that:

(2) No obstruction will be created that would unreasonably interfere with police, fire or health protection of the city, and

(3) No unreasonable interference with the normal uses of the abutting property will be created.

(e) The city council normally shall not close a street and issue a street use permit when the street requested to be closed is within 750 feet of a street that the council has previously closed for the same time, unless the holder of the earlier street use permit has been notified and consents to the subsequent street closure.

(f) The holder of a street use permit must obtain all other required city licenses and permits. The special event committee appointed by the city manager will advise the permit holder of additional licenses and permits that are required based upon information provided by the permit holder.

(g) No vendors may operate within the closed street without the permission of the street use permit holder. This subsection shall not prevent the owners of businesses adjacent to the closed street from selling items on the sidewalk as otherwise permitted by law.

(h) No peddler shall conduct peddling within 750 feet of a street closed under this section without the written permission of the city manager. The manager shall not give such written permission without first consulting with the street use permit holder to determine whether such peddling will interfere with the special event to be held on the closed street.

(i) Access to businesses that abut the street closure shall be maintained during the normal business hours of the affected business.

(j) No street use permit holder or other person shall block off a street in a manner that prevents the free movement of pedestrians into and out of the closed street area.

(k) No entry fee shall be charged to a person who resides or operates a business in the closed street area or to a customer of or person making delivery to a business or residence in the closed street area.