Santa Rosa floats proposal to close Fourth Street to vehicles

Santa Rosa is wondering if closing one of its busiest downtown streets to vehicle traffic may be just the thing to lure wary customers and diners back into the heart of the city amid the coronavirus pandemic.

Three blocks of Fourth Street, between B and E streets, would be temporarily transformed into a pedestrian thoroughfare and plaza under the proposal, which arose amid discussions at City Hall, said Raissa de la Rosa, the city’s economic development manager.

Her presentation Monday drew mixed reviews from business and property owners assembled on a video call, with no clear consensus on whether the change represented a potential burden or boon.

“We’ve already had pre-COVID problems attracting consumers and diners downtown,” said Nate Auerbach of Mark Allen Jewelers. “To me, closing the street off right now would just add one more barrier that keeps people away.”

Others were more supportive of a closure. They included Sherry Huss, co-founder of the Maker Faire, who said she was speaking on behalf of Gerard’s Paella Y Tapas. If the city’s goal was to help revive downtown from its COVID coma, creating a new arena for commerce and socializing could be the needed shot in the arm, she said.

“This may just be the thing that gets people out,” she said, noting that parts of the street could host tables in front of restaurants. “There’s probably not a lot to lose and potentially there’s something to gain.”

Cities including Oakland, Denver and Boston already have closed miles of roadway to cars as the pandemic has shut down much of the economy, leading to a dramatic drop in vehicle traffic and leaving more space for pedestrians and bicyclists. Seattle has gone further, opting to permanently close 20 miles of streets to normal traffic.

Santa Rosa isn’t taking that route. Here, city officials envision a closure that opens up a few walkable blocks, giving more open-air space to restaurants that want to reopen but are cramped under social distancing rules. The attraction could offer a safer downtown destination after months cooped up under shelter-at-home orders, de la Rosa said.

“You see it anywhere people are beginning to open up: People are looking for a social outlet,” she said.

North-and-south corridors such as Mendocino Avenue and the small streets that loop the square would remain open under Santa Rosa’s draft plan. And the street will stay open to vehicles for the foreseeable future, as any closure wouldn’t be put in place until pandemic rules are relaxed enough to allow for dining in, de la Rosa said.

On Monday’s video call, some downtown business owners were quick to voice concerns. The street closure could deter customers instead of lure them back, some said. Others wondered about the logistics of delivery shipments and curbside pick-up or reiterated ongoing frustrations about parking and homelessness.

The call was organized by the Downtown Action Organization, which advocates for business and property owners.

As is, large public gatherings have been ruled out by the county through at least Labor Day, which means downtown will exist this summer without some of its seasonal draws, including the popular Wednesday Night Market and a packed schedule of weekend events that normally set up in Old Courthouse Square.

After Monday’s call, de la Rosa said she and her team would work with the Downtown Action Organization to address concerns about the proposal.

Any final decision would not need a green light from the City Council, de la Rosa said, because the closure could be accomplished through a special event permit process.

“We’re not talking about tomorrow,” she said, “or even next week.”

You can reach Staff Writer Will Schmitt at 707-521-5207 or will.schmitt@pressdemocrat.com.