Chairs At Protests, Parades. And Other Places

[Towntalk]

During regular business hours - 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM Mondays through Fridays the streets in the downtown area should be free of any obstacle that prevents the free flow of traffic, excluding safety barriers, and construction barriers both there as a matter of public safety. On special occasions when public events are held around the memorials that are on the Square, that is quite another matter. No one begrudges the safety forces or our war veterans their day of remembrance, so other than that just what examples can be given where seating would not be appropiate?

[jay]

Some collections of chairs block the sidewalk more than others.

If anyone wants to bring a chair downtown and sit without blocking the sidewalk, I have no problem with that.  I just hope they spend some money while visiting our downtown.

[Towntalk]

There are a number of events that are held on the Square where it is appropriate to have seating. Would you say that under no circumstance, for any reason, that chairs be allowed on the Square?

Perhaps we should ban any sort of event downtown.

As to the restaurant that has outdoor seating that you illustrate, I personally don't know why the city permitted it in the first place. The Ceaders has outdoor seating, but it doesn't block any sidewalks.

The controversy over the protesters on the square leads to a larger question concerning the use of the downtown area for events of all sorts, especially events that necessitate blocking off streets necessary for the free flow of traffic.

With nearby city parks available for functions such as Wick Park, why should the various festivals be held downtown, inconviencing people going downtown for business reasons?

Again, with signs and symbols that do not meet with the approval of opposing groups, should not any and all signage not appropiate to the area be banned.?

Certainly street signs, business signs and the like are necessary and appropiate, but any and all temporary signage and symbols are neither necessary or appropiate such as Nativity Scenes, Christmas Trees, Christmas lights and decorations strung across streets and the like, and should be banned.

Just asking.

[sfc_oliver]

I hardly think you can compare a Memorial Ceremony to a protest.

The Ceremony lasted at most 2 hours, not 2 months.

And I hope that the restaurant had a permit for outdoor seating.... If not then they were wrong.

[jay]

Some chairs (and tables) partially block the sidewalk on West Federal Street 24/7.

[jay]

In this photo, many chairs were being used at this recent event on Central Square in downtown Youngstown.

[jay]

The few chairs at Occupy Youngstown were recently confiscated by the Youngstown Police Department because the chairs were on a public sidewalk.

Other chairs have been and are being used on public sidewalks in downtown Youngstown.  Should all chairs now be removed from our downtown sidewalks?