Decorah City Council denies request to close parts of Water Street for Open Streets event

The Decorah Open Streets organization's request to close Water Street from Mechanic Street to Winnebago Street on Sunday, June 9th, touched off a heated discussion on Monday night.

Rubaiyat restaurant owner Andy Bonnet called on the city council to reject the request, saying a previous closing of Water Street for the first Open Streets event one year ago caused his business "a significant loss of money."  Bonnet said Rubaiyat had no customers after 11:30 a.m. because of the Open Street event.

Open Streets organizer  David Paquette says his group "is trying to create an event that works for the whole community."  He said after the second Open Streets event last year was held off Water Street, he received numerous requests to have it return to Water Street.  Paquette said he had talked with owners of businesses along the proposed street closing route and they had unanimously supported the closing.

But Bonnet said Open Streets had not talked with him or the owner of other downtown businesses that open on Sundays and city council member Paul Wanless--also a Water Street business owner--said no one from Open Streets had talked with him.

Wanless proposed an alternative--closing Water Street from Mechanic to Court Street, but leaving the 200 block of W. Water Street open, so traffic could move in two directions downtown.

But the proposal before the city council called for closing three blocks of Water Street and City Attorney Rick Zahasky ruled that it could not be amended because pulbic notice would have to be given first.

City council members voted 5-1 against the Open Streets request--but invited organizers to return May 20th to discuss a modified street closing.