Last Fall, at a community meeting I organized about Lanta, an elderly citizen told how Mayor Pawlowski raged against her for having frequent sidewalk sales. As a mugging victim, she couldn't understand how he was more concerned with her sales than the attack against her. I later learned a gentleman was mugged on the way to the meeting. Last night Allentown provided a solution, not against the muggers, but against the sidewalk sales.* Councilman Peter Schweyer, also a member of the Lanta Board, introduced this landmark legislation. Unfortunately, the Hamilton Street merchants didn't fare well against Lanta. Several have left Hamilton Street, including the only drug store. It's tough being old in downtown Allentown.
* http://www.mcall.com/news/local/all-b6_5council.6574508sep04,0,5114129.story
MM, glad you re-opened the comments for people like me.
ReplyDeleteThe Banker
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ReplyDeleteI'd be curious to see whether this passed unanimously. I believe this is discriminatory legislation aimed at the working poor and seniors on fixed incomes.
ReplyDeleteas with the home sale inspection law, the administration encourages neighbors to report weekend yard sale violators; not quite the way to build community relations
ReplyDeleteHe "Raged" against her? let's be realistic. Dislike the mayor all you want, but I have serious doubts that he 'raged' against an old woman and cares more about sidewalk sales than crime. That's just silly.
ReplyDeleteI see many of the families who do have the "sidewalk" sales on a daily or weekly basis, and although some are more organized and have better merchandise than others, I fail to see the reasoning of this new law. I understand that he wants to "clean-up" the image of A-town, so I believe he should set criteria for those who wish to do the yard sales, example: size, signage, items, etc . By limiting them, he is actually limiting the income of the people holding these events. These are not the so-called drug addicted degenerates who are having these events, they are actual families who are trying to earn extra income. Many are trying to get gas for their car, pay rent, pay for oil, pay for eletricity, etc. Again, this is a a decision made without a conversation with the community it will affect.
ReplyDeleteAlfonso