Downtown Merchants Cite Need for Better Organization
December 03, 2009
ELLSWORTH - Over 30 downtown business owners, property owners and chamber officials turned out for a meeting at City Hall Tuesday that was sponsored by the Ellsworth Area Chamber of Commerce to focus on revitalizing downtown.
The gathering was a continuation of an Oct. 27 meeting the chamber had with downtown property owners to discuss the state of downtown and plan for the future.
The group spent nearly the entire 2 ½ -hour meeting discussing how to organize itself and how to determine its next steps.
Eaton Peabody attorney and downtown resident Jason Barrett suggested the group decide what its agenda is before continuing to meet.
“Every couple of years we re-engage this process,” Barrett said. He suggested the group identify its top five priorities for the next six months.
Steve Joy, owner of Katsiaficas Agency, suggested the group determine goals according to whether they are low cost or no cost, medium-range and long-term. Have people volunteer to work on what they’re interested in, he said.
“I think sometimes if you do what you want, you do it more readily,” said Joy.
City Planner Michele Gagnon and Micki Sumpter, the chamber’s executive director, had compiled a five-page, double-sided list of overall goals for downtown and possible activities. They compiled to document from downtown studies and plans dating back to 1996.
Michael Curtis, who is opening Union River Kids Book and Toy Company in January on Main Street, said the document should be sent out via e-mail. People can sign up to do what interests them, he said.
Terry Carlisle, general manager of The Ellsworth American, said, “We’ve got to have fun. If it’s not fun, you’re not going to do it.”
The meeting began at 7:30. At 8:10, the group was still discussing how to move forward.
“I think what we need is more doing,” said Barrett.
Curtis suggested that the larger group was a way to generate ideas but that there should be subcommittees to be accountable for progress in various areas.
Marc Blanchette, owner of Windsor Chairmaker, commented, that sales might be improved if property owners would make improvements to their building exteriors.
He also suggested erecting arches at the top and bottom of Main Street as a way to distinguish the downtown area.
“I don’t see anything that bespeaks historic downtown,” said Blanchette.
Beth Fedl, who owns the Riverside Café building on Main Street, said that a beautiful facade is not going to help the larger issues of parking or roads.
“We need a broad picture and a broad plan,” said Fendl.
At 8:30 a.m., there was still discussion about how to move forward.
Carlisle suggested the group meet again in January after reading through the list that Gagnon and Sumpter had prepared.
J.P. Taillon, co-owner of Finn’s Irish Pub, suggested that people e-mail their comments so that an agenda could be created in advance.
“I think there’s a consensus that something needs to happen,” said Matt Worthen, an attorney at Eaton Peabody.
Janet Toth, the city’s community development coordinator, said the group might consider breaking into subcommittees similar to her economic development committee. That committee has broken into marketing, retention and growth development subcommittees, she said.
Fred Ehrlenbach, representing his mother, who owns a Main Street property, suggested those in attendance come up with their top five priorities and e-mail them to Sumpter well in advance of the next meeting so she can use them to prepare an agenda.
Gagnon asked to use the last 15 minutes of the meeting to share information about a grant program the city may pursue. The Community Enterprise Grant would be similar to the facade grants the city helped businesses received a few years ago. Besides facade improvement grants, there would also be possible “micro-loans” of up to $15,000 for small business owners to expand.
Gagnon said she is sending out a letter to area business and property owners to determine interest level in such a program.
Those who attended the meeting besides those mentioned include City Manager Michelle Beal, Teri Sargent-Smith, Maine Needhams, Ruth Foster, Ruth Foster’s Children Shoppe, Nancy mayo, general manager of the Eagles Lodge, accountant Denise Hude, David Herrington of Pyramid Studios, Zoe Scott, executive director of The Grant Auditorium, Lorena Stearns and Paul Markosian of The Town Baker, Lauri Fernald, co-owner of Jordan-Fernald Funeral Homes, Chris Crockett, chamber board member and IT manager at The American, chamber board member Rose White and Chrissi Harding, Ken Schweikert, owner of The Grasshopper Shop, John Pouwels, owner of John Edwards Market, Realtor Jeff Clark, Broker/owner of RE/MAX Hills & Harbors Realty, architect Mike Sealander of Sealander Studio, Jeff Wooster, who owns a Main Street building, Pamela Elias, co-owner of Rooster Brother, Phyllis Young, the chamber’s associate director, Leslie Harlow of the Maine Grind and Bernard and Catherine Hope, owners of H&R Block on Main Street.
Courtesy of The Ellsworth American
By Jennifer Osborn
