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HomeMy WebLinkAboutcclc.min.10301996 COMMERCIAL CORE & LODGING COMMISSION OCT. 30, 1996 Special Meeting - Delivery Vehicles was called to order. Jack Stanford and Bill Dinsmoor presided. Jack stated that the City has numerous committees looking into how to · make Aspen more friendly to 'the pedestrian such as The Pedestrian Walkway Committee. Some traffic patterns and traffic slow downs have resulted. CCLC has implemented the one way alleys that were put in and a success. They are also working in an effort to clean up the alleys so that more trucks can get through and more traffic can flow through. In that respect there were noise complaints of trash and delivery trucks. There are numerous problems when the core becomes partly residential to more commercial. The trash compactor system was initiated by the CCLC. Each block would have a compactor and thus eliminates dumpsters encroaching into the alley thorofare. In some alleys we had four to ten dumpsters. Carrying on with that philosophy CCLC wanted to look at the feasibility of delivery truck schedules which are in many resort areas. Bill and Jack own businesses in the commercial core and they know the problems. It will take input from both sides, the delivery people and the merchants to make this work. The consensus from the delivery people is that it will work as we already have a friendly infill Structure in the alleys. The vendors and vendees need to work together. We have learned that the 18 Wheeler's are coming in half full and why can't they send a smaller truck. We learned that different businesses require different delivery times. What do we do about the urgency deliveries and smaller axle deliveries. We need the input from the merchants to evaluate. Jack als0 stated after the last three meetings it was determined that we could not say no more trucks in Aspen after a certain hour. Main Street is a highway and we have a legal problem. What has filtered down after all the discussion is if we were to put in some type of schedule most of the delivery firms have agreed that the morning hours work for them. If we were to give them a wide access to their sites in the morning they could get in and out faster. The problem is that the alleys are blocked up and the loading zones are blocked up and the delivery truck has to circle three or fdur times before he can get anywhere close to his delivery site. We are ~heai'ing if we were to make more of the city street available in the early morning hours they can get in and get closer to the delivery site and not have to circle. It might mean eliminating some of the parking in the morning hours but the parking COMMERCIAL CORE. & LODGING COMMISSION OCT. 30, !996 department has been at all of the meetings and they have given us a good pattern for the parking. GenerallY they do not ticket until 9:00 or 10:00. If we get the alleys repaired ahd the snow removal is done frequently to keep the alleys clean they can get in and out quicker, We need to consider bad weather and when the pass is closed. Bill stated one of the problems with scheduling deliveries is on the receiving end and being about to receive a delivery especially in the food and liquor business due to refrigeration issues and security for alcohol products. Numerous businesses do not have someone to receive a product early in the morning because they are an evening business. If the cut off is 11:00 a.m. how would they drop off and who would receive the deliveries even if the food and beverage deliveries see the advantage of coming in early and getting out of town. How do we convince the restaurant community to have someone receive their product or to provide access or a key combination or secure area so that a blind drop can be done. Jack stated that there is a variance between a bar operation and a bakery. Beer distributors say they cannot deliver until the afternoon. Jack stated that it was determine that drop cages, or area was not feasible for businesses who came in after hours who couldn't get deliveries before the curfew. QUESTIONS Public asked what time in the morning could they start delivering if the curfew is 11:00 a.m. Jack stated that four or five in the morning was talked about. Bill stated that there are areas in town such as lodges and residences and there will have to be a trade off's and flexibility. It seems if the delivery trucks do not have to turn and the alleys aroclean they can get thejob done within the window of five hours. Bill stated priority mail and certain others have specific problems and issues. 2 COMMERCIAL CORE & LODGING COMMISSION OCT. 30~ 1996 Jack stated that we are trying to get the trucks off the street by 11:00. Jack stated that smaller delivery vehicles was brought up at the last meeting and they use a van etc. and buy a commercial parking pass and hang it in their window and that is good for them to park in the alleys and the loading zones on the street. One of the problems is that those cars, vans etc. park in the alley and the larger trucks can't get past. We are working with parking to have those peoPle park on the street on a temporary basis. Bill stated that one solution would be the electric meter and you only turn it on for five minutes etc. Possibly there should be an incentive for people to use the meters so that they can park anywhere and do not have to use the alleys. Casey Kaufman stated that People who are at work late at night are not going to come in the morning to check deliveries. Bill stated that the Ski Company should be at these meeting as it is an impact for them to get deliveries up the mountain. Some hotels can take a 4:00 a.m. delivery because they have their Own loading zones and personnel. Bill stated that if we can get the eight blocks downtown to do deliveries early it would eliminate congestion. Areas such as Clarks are not much of a problem. Carl Bergman stated once in a while delivery trucks get congested but in his mind it is not a problem. Getting early deliveries is what businesses want so it can be priced and on the shelf. He is not even thinking about trucks on the streets. The number of buses that emit pollution and dump trucks full of dirt you can't even talk. Casey stated most of her deliveri, es are in the morning. Bill stated that most deliveries come in the morning and as the day goes on it gets more difficult and more competition for the space in the alley. 3 .COMMERCIAL CORE & LODGING COMMISSION OCT. 30, 1996 Casey stated that she would not hire someone to come in and accept deliveries. Bill stated some people say that they can see the advantage to the Community and to themselves to receive supplies early and other people are saying no way am I going to change the way I do business. Casey stated it is the fact that you have to pay someone just to get one delivery. Bill stated that he would figure out a way to better utilize the person waiting for the delivery. Casey stated that it would be positive to set up guidelines. She also stated that she could do it in the winter because she has a prep person at the restaurant. Bill stated that the most efficient way for deliveries to get done is to go by one alley and they drop it offand go on to the next alley and get out of town. Bill asked how do we paake that happen on the receiving end. Casey stated that the only way would be to hire someone to come to work in the morning. Jack stated that the City has an employee that is on call for any problems regarding water, the alleys etc. He keeps his eye on the alleys everyday. Public, Food Delivery stated that they deliver in one particular alley and then rotate around until all the businesses are open for the drop. They really work it out with the other drivers and they know who is in what alley and at what particular time. They try to do a two hour window stop. Public stated that the thing that would work is if they delivered by geography and not;customer as it would make it quicker tO get in and out. The delivery ~system works fine 85% of the time, as it is now because the off season slows down. There is less of a problem in the off season. 4 COMMERCIAL CORE & LODGING COMMISSION OCT. 30. 1996 Bill stated that they are trying to control this before the problem becomes so intense. We do not want to see a gridlock downtown. Public stated that if they don't complY the business will change suppliers Jack stated that the City coUld come in and say everyone needs to be there at 9:00 a.m. and out by 11:00. That person would then go to City Hall and complain and we do not want to make a hardship for small businesses. Public stated that in one alley you have 3 food suppliers and one beer supplier and one liquor supplier all in the alley at the same time. They would then move from restaurant to restaurant. It wouldn't be as bad as it is now if that occurred because they could all be there at a particular time. You can work in an afternoon delivery. Jack stated that the committee wants to come to an agreement to where we can make something work. Jack stated that the next meeting will be set up with the City Staff to find out what the government problems are with this. Meeting adjourned at NOON 5