The Glenwood Springs City Council heard plenty of passionate opinions Thursday night concerning whether or not Seventh Street should reopen to traffic.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is by far the most comments we have gotten on anything since I have been on council,\u201d said Glenwood Springs Mayor Jonathan Godes. \u201cIt is pretty overwhelming. \u2026 The community said they want this open.\u201d<\/p>\n
Ultimately, council in a 4-3 vote decided to reopen Seventh Street to vehicular traffic \u201cas soon as possible.\u201d<\/p>\n
Councilors Tony Hershey, Paula Stepp, Rick Voorhees and Shelley Kaup voted in favor of reopening Seventh Street. Mayor Godes, Steve Davis and Charlie Willman did not support the original motion.<\/p>\n
The official vote on whether or not to reopen the billed \u201cFestival Street,\u201d which cost over $2 million dollars to build, came a little after 9 p.m. Thursday following lengthy public comment.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019d like to see Seventh Street permanently closed to vehicles but remain open for pedestrians and non-motorized modes of transport and even consider maybe creative ways to get people with mobility issues into the area with specialized access,\u201d said Glenwood resident Sarah Gordon. \u201cThis location is really a prime spot for special memories and bringing the community together. We are not just talking about a street or a pedestrian mall, we are actually talking about a public space where we can interact.\u201d<\/p>\n
While some, like Gordon, favored keeping Seventh Street closed to vehicles, the vast majority of residents in attendance Thursday night believed it should reopen to traffic.<\/p>\n
\u201cI know the traffic situation is the biggest reason why people don\u2019t come downtown. If we don\u2019t open up Seventh Street that traffic congestion is going to continue; this theory about downtown being always crowded will continue,\u201d said Cooper Wine and Spirits Owner Kevin Brady. \u201cIt\u2019s actually a mixed-use space now if you look at it. We have 20-foot sidewalks on each side of the street. We have an enormous under bridge area currently in place. \u2026I think people will get a clear idea that this is a mixed-use street. It\u2019s there now, let\u2019s go ahead and open it up.\u201d<\/p>\n
Although Seventh street will reopen to vehicles, council, at a future meeting, may decide upon weekend closures during busy holidays such as Memorial and Labor Day weekends.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe put up with a lot of noise, a lot of inconvenience. We put up with frustration. We gave you patience and tolerance,\u201d said Garfield County Commissioner John Martin. \u201cDo the right thing, keep it open.\u201d<\/p>\n
Seventh Street will likely reopen to vehicles possibly as early as next week following the completion of a few technical details.<\/p>\n