A recent request to hold a craft beer and music festival in Northgate on the parking lot owned by the city of College Station generated a staff study that was discussed at the last city council meeting.
The council directed staff to draft a policy for closing the lot for special events and to contact all Northgate businesses for their opinion.
James Benham, who reminisced about his days working at the North by Northgate festivals, says the district…which includes multiple apartment complexes that are the home of thousands of college students…has the same potential as downtown Bryan.
City manager Kelly Templin told the council the policy could not restrict who could use the Northgate lot based on free speech…something that was recently an issue at Wolf Pen Creek.
Members of the Northgate District Association (NDA) support using the lot except during peak hours…which includes Texas A&M home football game days and Thursday through Saturday nights after 10.
NDA Executive Director Chris Scotti sent the following e-mail to the city council ahead of the August 27, 2015 meeting:
Howdy Mayor & Councilmembers,
I am sending this letter of support for tomorrow’s workshop item considering allowing events on the surface lot on behalf of the Northgate District Association. We know that there are pros and cons to doing so, but we believe that with the proper controls in place, the net gain is worth it. Below are a few conclusions and suggestions drawn out of the discussion with staff, stakeholders and potential special event holders thus far.
1. Proven Record: The surface lot has a proven record of working for special events (10+ years of city sponsored Northgate Music Festival)
2. Time of Use: It is important that a mechanism be put in place that will allow use to be limited to Off-Peak times. Parking capacity is a concern at peak times (Thursday-Saturday after 10pm during fall/spring semesters, game days, etc…).
3. Parking Capacity: As long as the above Off-peak limitation is achieved, parking capacity will not be a problem with nearby lots. The NDA supports using parking assets creatively to make Northgate more attractive, whether that be special events, food vendors, or valet parking stands. The NDA fights parking removal that depletes overall capacity and removes convenient parking for day-time business at their peak times.
4. Parking Revenue: Consider a “lot rental surcharge” equal or exceeding the revenue that would have been earned on the lot during event use
5. Stakeholder engagement: Consider appointing a stakeholder committee or delegating part of the approval process to the NDA board. This could overcome several of the above concerns (i.e. off peak use, parking impacts) as the committee would be representative of the business interests.
6. Event operations: The area was built out with large events in mind. The nearby promenade was built to accommodate stage power needs, and the restrooms to accommodate large crowds. Events exceeding these capacities would be required to supplement (i.e. generators or portable restrooms) just as they would in other parts of the city. Security, sanitation, etc…are all handled just as they would for any other event in the city – through a special event permit application.
7. Alternative locations:
a. College Main pedestrian area – Viable for certain smaller events, but TABC Rules make it difficult due to abutting establishments
b. Patricia Street Promenade – Same as above with added complication of number of tree wells, structures and wayfinding signs that prevent stage placement under the structures that were originally designed for this use
c. Street Closure – works well for certain smaller events (like O’Bannon’s St. Patrick’s day event), but not viable for larger festivals that require a large contiguous area or multiple stages
d. Wolf Pen Creek – Not a destination of interest for this demographic, no bleed over benefit to nearby businesses (causing tax & sponsorship implications), noise of concern to nearby residences
As a side note, it is unfortunately too late to hold the Craft Beer & Music festival on the surface lot this year (October 10th). The event is moving down the road to The Stack Field. This location is not nearly as beneficial to the district (the associated destinations are far) and this is only a temporary solution as there are development plans that will prevent the field’s use in the future. The NDA is still supporting this event in the hopes that we can hold it or similar events in the Northgate District in the future and urge the council not to wait until the next event comes forward, as it will likely be too late again!