AGENDA #5a
MEMORANDUM
TO: Mayor and Town Council
FROM: W. Calvin Horton, Town Manager
SUBJECT: Changes to Apple Chill Street Fair for 2002
DATE: March 4, 2002
This report provides information regarding proposed changes to the Town’s 2002 Apple Chill event, the primary change being the expansion of the fair venue. The date for Apple Chill 2002 is April 21, with April 28 reserved as the rain date.
For the past 29 years the Town of Chapel Hill has sponsored the Apple Chill street fair, traditionally held on a Sunday afternoon each spring. Approximately 35,000 people attend the annual fair to take in a mixture of diverse music and entertainment, arts and crafts, international foods, youth games and rides, and community civic groups.
The fair’s perimeters for vendors have historically spanned Franklin Street, from Raleigh Road to Columbia Street, and we believe we have outgrown this area. During fair set-up time, each year staff from the Police, Public Works, and Parks and Recreation Departments have spent significant time managing the east end of the fair, helping church goers get to their cars and leave the fair area while vendors attempt to prepare for the fair. Access to Columbia on the west end of the fair has been a safety concern, with people entering the fair area walking among moving traffic. Gaining access to downtown Chapel Hill and the fair has been challenging due to parking problems. Food vendors have been spread throughout the fair and have created logjams in various spots with their long lines. Due to space limitations, we have been unable to provide space for fair goers to sit while eating. Last year the Parks & Recreation Department was forced to turn away more than 60 vendor applicants due to lack of space.
DISCUSSION
In addition to solving these logistical concerns, we believe we will be able to be more inclusive, involving community groups and providing better access for individuals with disabilities, by moving the street vendor fair area west. We propose the fair perimeters for 2002 Apple Chill extend from Raleigh Road (although vendors would go no further east than the Morehead Planetarium) to Church Street. While the east-end of the fair will be closed for vehicular traffic, citizens attending church will be able to leave at their leisure, rather than having vendors waiting to set up once cars have been cleared. The Police and Parks and Recreation Departments have developed a partial solution to the fair parking shortage by providing designated vendor parking at Parking Lot #2 and on the street, between the fair area on South Columbia Street and Cameron Avenue. This will free public spaces downtown for fair-goers. West Franklin Street, beginning at Church Street, will remain open for merchants, shoppers, and downtown visitors.
Moving the west fair boundary to Church Street will open a wealth of opportunities at the Columbia Street intersection. We have been working with Arts Carolina and the Ackland Museum staff to involve the UNC community in Apple Chill 2002. A special area near the Ackland will be devoted to student organizations, arts and crafts, and entertainment. In addition, we are making arrangements for two food court areas adjacent to Franklin Street on Henderson and North Columbia Streets, where fair-goers will be able to eat peacefully while enjoying music and entertainment from the stages. We have worked with UNC’s Disability Awareness and Public Safety Departments to reserve handicapped accessible space in the parking lot behind the Ackland and we are arranging handicapped accessible transportation from that lot to either end of the fair. Finally, we will be able to accept approximately 90 more arts/crafts, non-profit organizations and food vendors, as well as have more space for children’s activities, and entertainers.
The Transportation Department will continue to offer a shuttle service for fair goers who wish to park at University Mall. The fee will be $1.00 per trip. We had hoped to provide additional bus service to the downtown area from various points; however, we believe budget constraints will prevent that this year. Staff from the Police and Parks & Recreation Departments have met with the Executive Directors of the Downtown Commission and the Chamber of Commerce and they are pleased that the bulk of West Franklin Street will remain open. The Apple Chill 2002 event was briefly discussed at the February 26 Downtown Commission meeting. Town staff will follow up with business owners and their representatives to discuss any concerns related to the Apple Chill 2002 street fair. We want to ensure that the Apple Chill event will enhance the downtown business community.
Attached is a comparison of the proposed 2002 Apple Chill to the 2001 event. We believe that proposed changes in the fair perimeters, fair management locations, street closing/traffic flow, Arts Carolina-UNC area, public safety/works, and parking will both enhance the fair for its 30th anniversary and allow more efficient use of limited staff time from various departments, including Fire, Police, Public Works, Transportation, and Parks and Recreation.
1. Comparison of proposed 2002 Apple Chill to 2001 Apple Chill event (p. 3).