COMMUNITY COMMENTARY:Find a way to say ‘yes’ to continue downtown revival

By all accounts, Surf City Nights is an astounding success. Business is thriving and residents are bringing their families downtown for the first time in years. In fact, it’s as if the entire city had been waiting for this moment: a reason to come downtown again.

City staff and downtown merchants deserve all the credit. They’ve found a way to work together to create an event with quality vendors and first-rate entertainment.

What’s more, the city and downtown merchants have succeeded in producing what many cities would give anything for: a weeknight event drawing thousands to the urban core of the city, an event with true community spirit.

The Project for Public Spaces says “small steps to enliven streets, parks, and other public spaces are the building blocks of a thriving city.� Surf City Nights is the first small step we’ve taken toward making downtown Huntington Beach the kind of thriving community space residents and merchants want.

That’s why it’s necessary to keep it going.

But that’s easier said than done. The city is funding Surf City Nights through Redevelopment Agency Funds by subsidizing the farmer’s market, the costs of extra public safety protection and public works staff who set up the barricades. Redevelopment Agency funds do not come from the city’s general fund and do not take away money from other services, but they cannot be used for ongoing projects.

Why does the farmer’s market have to be subsidized? Excessive regulations stymie efforts to create enough vendor spaces on the downtown streets to make the market profitable without subsidies.

The farmer’s market has about 30 vendor spots but probably needs at least 60 to turn a profit.

Downtown merchants are willing to take over and run Surf City Nights after the city’s funds run out May 22, but efforts to expand the market to the first block and the fourth block of Main Street or to Olive or Walnut avenues are being met with obstacle after obstacle by city staff.

And the market must have more street space to continue past the May 22 deadline. Downtown merchants urge the city to find a way to make this happen. Countless cities throughout California have enough space on their streets for profitable, nonsubsidized farmer’s markets and bazaars. Why can’t we make it happen? Surely we can find creative ways to work within our regulations to make this work.

So far, this is a great success for our city staff and downtown merchants who planned it. The city as a whole loves it. But if it dries up and goes away, it will be a failure.

Make no mistake, though, it will be a city failure. The downtown merchants are doing everything they can to keep this highly successful program going.

There seems to be a tendency for government to find a thousand ways to say no.

For the future success of downtown, Surf City Nights, and community-spirited public events and spaces, we need to find at least one way to say yes.