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0 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? subscribe | newsletter | deals Classifieds Jobs Autos Real Estate FEATURED » NEWS NOW Our View: Learning to survive ... Techtoberfest event was a rousing success ... Jeffrey Gillespie: Hillary Clinton’s big night ... Our View: Learning to survive ... Techtoberfest event was a rousing success ... Jeffrey Gillespie: Hillary Clinton’s big night ... SUSTAINABLE VALLEY TECHNOLOGY GROUP Ashland council OKs closing B Street for Techtober Fest Comment By John Darling For the Tidings DailyTidings.com By John Darling For the Tidings Posted Aug. 5, 2015 at 6:04 PM By John Darling For the Tidings Posted Aug. 5, 2015 at 6:04 PM » Social News After struggling with the new problem of closing off one block of a busy city street for most of the day, the Ashland City Council Tuesday overrode staff and narrowly approved the use of B Street, between Oak and Pioneer streets, for the Techtober Fest on Saturday, Oct. 10. That’s the same day as the Southern Oregon Pride Parade and the Saturday Growers Market on Oak, causing both police and fire officials to express concern about blocking so many streets, should an emergency arise. Council members roundly wanted to support the event by Sustainable Valley Technology Group and suggested they find an event spot away from the potentially congested downtown, but group members, led by event manager Cassandra Davis, said they’d put a lot of work into the site beside the Historic Armory, even obtaining parking from businesses across B Street. City Administrator Dave Kanner said the closure of a city street for a non-holiday event would set a possibly cumbersome precedent for city, when future applicants could say it’s already been approved for others. Kanner said his logic in denying is was that the city had never gone beyond a two-hour limit on such events -- and the potential “disruption” could be problematic. “We have to treat all applicants equally. I thought it set a very bad precedent for a neighborhood collector street.” The event, planned from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., would showcase alternative technologies with a stage, tents, booths and live music. Up to 1,000 people would be expected. Davis said Lithia Park had too many regulations and ScienceWorks had another major event that day. Staff and Kanner had earlier declined the application, so SVTG appealed it to the council, which tossed it around at length, finally passing it 3-2. Applicants said they checked out use of the large parking lot on the other side of the armory for the event, but decided they needed access to the front and south side of the armory, fronting on B Street. SVTG’s vision is sustainable commerce and encouraging Ashland to be more of a destination for entrepreneurism, arts and music, said Davis. Police Chief Tigh O’Meara said he never advocates such a long street closure, echoing similar sentiment of fire officials, but “we can work with anything. It’s a major thoroughfare ... It could slow down response time. It’s not ideal but we could roll with it.” Council members emphasized they support the mission of SVTG and that having the event “means a great deal to our community,” in the words of Councilor Carol Voisin, echoed by Mayor John Stromberg. The vote was close mainly because of its long hours and the other two big events going on within a block or two, members indicated. The group said the event required considerable setup and takedown time, but they would try to shrink the hours. John Darling is an Ashland freelance writer. Reach him at [email protected]. By John Darling For the Tidings DailyTidings.com By John Darling For the Tidings Posted Aug. 5, 2015 at 6:04 PM » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Southern Oregon Directory Featured Businesses Loading... 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