SBD considering special rules for weekends

 The Special Business District is considering a new concept to keep downtown Columbia safe while encouraging nighttime activity: hospitality zones.
The idea is to nurture the popularity of dining, shopping and seeking entertainment downtown while reducing disturbances, SBD Director Carrie Gartner said. To do that, she said, you have to make sure everyone has enough resources by providing additional amenities usually reserved for special occasions.
“It makes perfect sense to treat Friday and Saturday nights like a festival,” Gartner said.
The proposal suggests measures such as reserving space for designated taxi stands, providing more trash and recycling containers and establishing special street vendor areas, diagonal crosswalks, emergency phones and even port-a-pottiesl.
Gartner presented a draft report on the proposal to the SBD board Tuesday. Other cities such as Austin, Tex.; Boulder, Colo.; and Springfield use the approach. The report lists business owners, the city and the proposed downtown Community Improvement District as possible funding sources.
The idea came about through discussions with the Columbia Police Department, which began operating a substation in the same building the SBD uses.
“We never would have been talking about this if they hadn’t been in our office,” Gartner said.
The proposal is still being tweaked and would need approval from the City Council before taking effect.