Overview:
The Downtown Vitality Committee in Athol is planning a public walking tour of empty downtown storefronts and buildings to attract new businesses. The tour is tentatively scheduled for May 12 and would allow potential tenants to view vacant spaces. The town is updating its inventory of empty storefronts and buildings to determine which properties could participate. The committee also discussed ongoing issues with downtown parking enforcement and delays in the activation of the ParkMobile app.
ATHOL – At its meeting on Jan. 13, the Downtown Vitality Committee discussed plans for a public walking tour of empty downtown storefronts and buildings, intended to highlight available commercial space and attract new businesses.
Director of Planning and Community Development Eric Smith said the tour is tentatively planned for May 12 and would take place on foot through downtown, with participating property owners opening vacant spaces to residents, business owners and potential tenants.
Smith said the town is updating its inventory of empty storefronts and buildings, along with building ownership information, to determine which properties could participate.
“We’ll use that vacancy inventory to reach out to the building owners and see if they’d be willing to have their space available,” he said.
Committee members discussed the timing of the tour, with Smith suggesting it could begin around 5 or 5:30 p.m. and run as late as 8 p.m., depending on participation.
Smith said he has been in contact with the Polus Center and Athol Credit Union, partners in the town’s Remaking Main Street initiative. Representatives from both organizations are expected to attend the committee’s next meeting in February to discuss coordination for the tour, including whether the Polus Center space could be utilized.
“I’m hoping maybe they can use their space as a place where people could gather for the tour,” Smith said.
Details of the tour, including which properties will participate and the final route, will continue to be worked out at future meetings. Committee members discussed the possibility of using registration as a way to plan for the event, though no final decisions were made.
Downtown parking
Smith said parking enforcement has been limited since the town’s parking ambassador resigned on Dec. 30, effective immediately. He said he has been in contact with Town Manager Shaun Suhoski about re-posting the position.
Committee Chair Mary Holtorf said downtown parking enforcement has been an ongoing issue and it became especially noticeable during the December holiday, when parking was free and vehicles often stayed beyond the two-hour limit. She said that pattern has continued since the moratorium ended, with little enforcement.
“I got a complaint today about someone who couldn’t get parking for a downtown business because two of the prime parking spaces right out in front were occupied for four hours by two tenants,” she said.
Providing an update on ParkMobile, Smith said the app is still not live due to delays in the signage installation. He said the town is now waiting on the Department of Public Works to complete the remaining work before the system can be activated.
The committee agreed to invite the town’s police chief and DPW assistant director to its March meeting to discuss enforcement responsibilities and next steps, as the town works to restore consistent downtown parking enforcement.