Policy Says Plaza Belongs to Public

A dispute between merchants and a producer of classic car shows has resulted in a written policy on how the Old Towne plaza downtown may be used by local businesses, movie producers and other event organizers.

Fat Man Productions, a producer of classic car shows, had requested permission earlier this year to close the plaza to traffic for most of a Sunday next spring for an exhibition.

Old Towne merchants objected, saying the company’s classic car show last year did not bring in new business and inconvenienced their regular customers.

Others argued that any event in the plaza is likely to draw thousands of visitors who may later return for shopping.

That led to a City Council debate about use of the downtown plaza and a vote to close the plaza to traffic from 6 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. April 6 for the car show and to draw up guidelines for how the area may be used.

Mayor Joanne Coontz told the merchants that they cannot dictate what happens downtown.

“The city has spent untold millions of dollars to improve the plaza for the benefit of the entire community,” she said. “Nobody really owns it. It belongs to all of us.”