Memorandum
City of Lawrence
City Manager’s Office
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TO: |
David L. Corliss, City Manager
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FROM: |
Jonathan Douglass, Assistant to the City Manager/City Clerk
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CC: |
Tarik Khatib, Chief of Police Mark Bradford, Fire Medical Chief Charles Soules, Director of Public Works Ernie Shaw, Interim Director of Parks and Recreation
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DATE: |
May 27, 2011
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RE: |
2011 Rev it Up! Hot Rod Hullaballoo
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On May 3, 2011, the City Commission heard a request from Stephen and Michelle Chronister to close Massachusetts Street from North Park Street to South Park Street on Saturday, October 8, 2011, for the Rev it Up Hot Rod Hullaballoo event. The event would benefit Big Brothers, Big Sisters, and Be Your Best Self, Inc. The City Commission deferred consideration of the street closure and instructed the applicants to consider alternate days of the week for the event and an option to close only a portion of Massachusetts Street, keeping half open to traffic.
Closing only a portion of Massachusetts and leaving two traffic lanes open
The applicants have worked with an outside traffic control vendor and city staff to explore the possibility of only closing the two northbound lanes (east side of the street) for the event, leaving the remaining two lanes available for one lane each of north and southbound traffic. The event would angle park hot rods along the east side of Massachusetts, along a portion of North Park Street, and along New Hampshire Street adjacent to the east (gazebo) side of park.
The applicants have been in communication with the County to use the Law Enforcement Center parking lot, and with Trinity Lutheran Church to use their parking lot, as well. Staff also recommends that any use of North Park Street be with the consent of the County.
City staff in the Public Works Department has expressed significant concerns about closing half of Massachusetts Street and moving the traffic over onto the remaining two lanes. The traffic control vendor that the applicant has been working with will only address the traffic control devices and signage pertaining to the movement/diversion of traffic. To provide separation between the pedestrians and traffic, the applicant has found another vendor that would provide barrels with plastic fencing in between, which would prevent pedestrians from stepping out into traffic. The Public Works Department is concerned that this barrier will not provide protection to pedestrians should a driver lose control or become distracted and drive through the barrier. The only way the Public Works Department could recommend approval of the plan is if non-traversable concrete or water-filled Jersey barriers were placed between the traffic lanes and the event area on Massachusetts. This would present a number of challenges though, as the cost for Jersey barriers is likely outside the budget of the event organizer, and set up and take down of Jersey barriers would likely require a full day before and after the event to complete, extending the traffic disruption to three days. Public Works therefore would prefer to see a complete closure of Massachusetts Street or no closure.
Alternate day of the week for the event
The applicants have considered holding the event on a Sunday instead of Saturday, but do not believe a Sunday event would be nearly as successful. Therefore the applicants request City Commission consideration of their event on the date originally proposed: Saturday, October 8, 2011.
Options for City Commission consideration
Staff has identified three options for City Commission consideration regarding this event.
ACTION: Direct staff as appropriate.