ELLY GRIMM
• Leader & Times
Much work has gone on in recent times to help revitalize Liberal’s downtown area and soon, there will be another project to help with just that.
At its July 8 meeting, the Liberal City Commission approved Ordinance No. 4636 concerning the formation of a Common Consumption Area in town. As Chief Communications Officer Keeley Moree tells it, however, the project has been in the works for quite some time.
“Throughout the years, we've had a lot of people from within the community, business owners, who were interested in mobilizing downtown more and being able to do special events and create a new restaurant and bar scene as a community-oriented space,” Moree said. “One of the key aspects of that was whether or not alcohol can be served in certain areas. As event planners kept coming to us, we felt there was finally enough of a need to be able to make an easy and understandable process because every time it came up, there were all sorts of questions and challenges and other factors we needed to research. This really simplifies things for those restaurant owners and bar owners who are looking to do more downtown.”
City Manager Scarlette Diseker said there were multiple factors that spurred the decision to officially go for such a project.
“For me, it was three things. Everyone who runs for the Liberal City Commission says they want to help revitalize the downtown area, but it proves to be more challenging than it seems – anytime you research 'downtown revitalization' or 'small town rehab' or things like that, there are so many things that come up. Those can include supporting local businesses, cutting red tape to allow certain events like festivals and block parties and other street parties, encouraging art and gathering spaces,” Diseker said. “This project rather flooded into the conversation we're having with the Liberal City Commission about the revitalization of the downtown area, so that was a big piece. Another big factor is having solid communication when it comes to community event planning – we're currently working on a Community Event Guide, which will be put before the commission at its next meeting. We saw a huge need to get that information out there and make sure the public knows what needs to happen in order for them to plan an event, because there are a lot of factors that go into that and sometimes the pieces are kind of broken in terms of having to talk to one person about one aspect and then someone else about another aspect, and then there are other factors to be taken into consideration. All of that work can be time-consuming and discouraging, so we decided to house all of the necessary information in one guide that's easy to access and understand. We also wanted to try something kind of new, get it out there and see if we could strike a chord with certain demographics and support the local businesses in that area. When these types of decisions are made, we have to ask ourselves whether or not they'll actually catch on and help improve those attitudes.”
“And while this is something new for us, it's not new in Kansas. There are multiple communities that have Common Consumptive Areas including Hays, Emporia, Wichita, Salina, Independence, and Pittsburg, among others,” Moree added. “We're definitely not pioneering this, but we are the first to have this in Southwest Kansas, and I think this will help distinguish us in a positive way because of what we're able to do with this new area.”
When doing some of the preliminary planning, Diseker and Moree said the city’s downtown area worked the best.
“The downtown area allows for more walkability, which is great. Several of our downtown vendors have, in the past, tried to host fall festivals or spring events or other events where they'd be able to block the street off and have live entertainment and other entertainment,” Diseker said. “The downtown vibe is easier to have in those areas, and we had more than one business that was interested. And we're not talking just bar-and-grill businesses, there are some other businesses in that area that are very much looking forward to some extra vibrancy. I was in one of those downtown businesses recently, and I knew there was something happening on 2nd Street, so instead of getting in my car and driving over, I walked around the corner and then down 2nd Street by some of those businesses, and it really occurred to me how great that space is and how I would like to see it come more alive. If you're planning an event and want to block a street, you can't TOTALLY block 2nd Street – you can come over a bit to the corner and go down Lincoln Ave., but that's a big stipulation. But 2nd Street has come alive a lot more in recent times, and it occurred to me during that short walk how we needed to capitalize on that and try our hand at it. We want that younger demographic, people in their 20s and 30s, to have places to go in terms of nightlife, and this could be a good start to that.”
“There's a long-held perception how there's nothing to do downtown and how the downtown area is empty, but when you get out and set out on foot and start walking it, you see just how many new things have gone in, especially in the past four or five years,” Moree added. “Sometimes, it really is just about getting people out of their cars and out onto the pavement and showing them what they're missing out on. I think there are a lot of people in the community who might assume our role in terms of economic development is to go out and fund and find and help pay for infrastructure specifically for certain stores to come in, and that's not really the case. A lot of economic development is policy work and intentional placing and other work to help these businesses thrive. When we start that on a small scale in our downtown area, that's something that continues to signal to other investors we're open for business and working toward that expansion.”
Diseker and Moree agreed there is much to be excited about with the project.
“Some of the downtown businesses have approached us for quite some time, and now that we have the ordinance approved and all of that, they're ready to come in and have a meeting with us. We want to be very organized and methodical about this because it's not a situation where I want to cause hardship to anyone, and I don't want anything to get out of control,” Diseker said. “Obviously, we don't expect things to be perfect 100 percent of the time with this, but we are meeting with multiple interested parties so we can get their ideas for these first events they're wanting to roll out. We're definitely going to be giving our opinions from the City standpoint and talk about concerns we have as far as safety and security. We have very good relationships with small businesses in town, and we want to continue nurturing that as we go along – I have a business background, we've all worked around these circumstances and want everything to go smoothly, and we want to be as communicative as possible with as many people as possible to make sure everything is covered.”
“It was important for us to start this on a smaller scale – the geographic footprint isn't very large, but it does benefit several businesses in that area,” Moree said. “We have set time frames where common consumption can occur, and it's also important to note the difference between the ability to sell alcohol and the ability to consume alcohol in that area, so you're still working in that standard as far as permits and all of that.”
And since the resolution’s passing, the work has only just begun.
“We're in the process of posting very conspicuous signage and pavement markings in that area to make sure we've got everything prepared,” Moree said. “The resolution goes into effect Aug. 15, and we've already published some information to cityofliberal.org that talks about what the area is, how it's used, and what the parameters are and all of that. We'll be working closely with those business owners to make sure the implementation of the resolution goes smoothly.”
“We're working on getting those FAQ's out there and answering them and meeting with local business owners who either have concerns and need more information or are wanting to plan something,” Diseker said. “We're really excited because this is just one more key for the downtown area, and we want to show people we are listening and working. We have a bunch of big ideas, and I know people in the community also have big ideas and wants, but we want to have a focus on small businesses because those are the businesses that keep the community going and sponsor scholarships and local teams and other things, so we want to give them an environment where they can thrive.”
Moree and Diseker agreed they hope to see many people in the community take advantage of the area.
“I really feel that's going to be driven by the businesses that participate. Our ordinance only sets the parameters that allow this to happen, so it's really up to those business owners to take advantage of it and put it to good use,” Moree said. “I'm looking forward to seeing how the area is used, we have multiple great downtown businesses that are very innovative and creative and want to see not just their business do well, but the community as a whole. There are specific guidelines that will have to be followed, it's not an area where you can just pull up with your own food and drink and call it a day, it's not like tailgating. There are rules to be followed, and there are consequences for people who don't follow those rules. And if anyone has any other questions about the rules of the area, they can visit http://cityofliberal.org/624/Common-Consumption-Area if they want to learn more. These business owners want to host events that are fun and engaging for everyone, whether it's a smaller weekly event or a bigger yearly event, so I think it'll go really well.”
“And we want to make sure these events are events we can handle and won't cause undue issues for anyone,” Diseker added. “Once things find their groove, however, I think this area will be really successful and we'll have a lot of people coming to downtown.”
